A Vintage Fashion Show

A Vintage Fashion Show

Author's note:

How does one create history/herstory/theirstory? Documentation, baby! I planned on writing a hard-hitting recap of this herstorical fashion show, but I fell into the shiny trappings of creative nonfiction. And while this story is not the *exact* retelling of Conscious Collections, it is based on the very real September 20 event. For if every Broadway singer just reported the facts, we'd be bored to tears and confused. The people come to Broadway for the ballads, the belts, the costumes, and the dance sequences. Broadway is for dreamers! Haute Couture is for artists! Vintage is for vigilantes! Literature is for lovers! When the fashion girls, gays, and theys get together, the power is palpable and the sequins are blinding. This time, journalism simply didn't have enough glitter.

Conscious Collections: A Fashion Show Story 

 All photos in this story are by photographer Wyatt Fangman.

On Friday, September 20, I pulled into the driveway of Shipment Vintage. It's the prime parking spot, the only flat paved off-street spot in this area of Benson. I quickly hopped out of the Subaru, grabbed my bag of books, and ran inside. The place was already stuffed with clothes. Leah's shop is delightfully busy to the eyes, appealing to the magpies and frock fanatics like me. Lauren Bates and Sami Hartong were setting up their Swap Omaha rack. It was filled with coastal neutral vibes: separates of loose silks and endless strands of pearls. 

Lauren Bates (left) and Sami Hartong (right) of Swap Omaha

I quickly said hi, found a spot to drop my books, and went back outside to grab my rack. I only packed one garment bag full of clothes, a departure from my typical over-planning self. At the model fitting the previous week, I brought 40 pieces, unsure of what I might show, of what my theme might be. Of course, it came together, the models –– lovely humans plucked from friends of friends and patrons of rad events –– brought life to the looks. I have always loved matching sets, not so much the black suits of job interviews and funerals, but the bright, joyful statement pieces that go together. The ones that say "clothe yourself in a good time." And so, my show theme "Match My Freak" was born. I decided I wanted the models to have a "character" so to speak. I wanted the audience to think about them in reality, to really ground them in a believable scene. So I gave each model a book or two to hold while they walked. In my mind, these characters were on their lunch break. They spent their morning as a lawyer, a student, an artist, or a mother, and then when the sun was in the highest part of the sky, their stomach started to growl and they skipped off to the park with a sandwich and a few poems or essays.

 Viy in Potluck Vintage

As I took my clothes out of the bag and hung them on the rack, people flooded into the shop. Soon the space was a fire hazard, hot with people, polyester, and champagne. The room was humming. Someone gave a speech and, as if a bell rang, we were off to the races, a stampede of armpits reared into the air, whipping clothes off and back on.

 Models at Shipment Vintage

The models lined up. Swap Omaha was first. Sami stayed back with models while Lauren made her way to the stage. As a podcast host, Lauren naturally fell into the role of MC. Her affable charm matched the vibe of the space. Floors! Floors! Floors! is an easy 1000-ish square foot space. It's laid out like a railroad apartment, where you walk through all the rooms to get from the front to the back. So while the models, sellers, and chaos were contained in the shop at the back, the fashion show audience stayed in the front. As the name implies, it's a former floor showroom, and carpenters did not hold back from showing. There's chestnut, cherry, and blonde wood planks. Some areas of the floor contain intricate wood inlays. The walls are nonconformist, too: tones of muted green and gold. Large abstract paintings line the walls. There's a fringe curtain and sometimes a giant crescent moon. Because why the hell not? It's all a creation of the absurd genius that is Leah Miles.

 Audience at Floors! Floors! Floors!

Unlike the runways of New York Fashion Week, where the models walk on an elevated platform, this was a salon-style show: the models strolled on the floor at the same level as the audience. Reserved seats were not an option. Instead, you walked in and chose one of the mismatched chairs. Some people sat on couches. A few plopped on floor pillows. Around the corner was a makeshift bar, complete with a skull full of orange punch, red Solo cups, and canned seltzers.

 

The bar at Floors! Floors! Floors!
The bar at Floors! Floors! Floors!

The music started pumping and one by one the models strutted across the floor, moving swiftly, joyfully. The calm hues of Swap Omaha's clothes paired with the effortlessly maximalist styling of sheer scarfs, long necklaces, and block heels asked the question, "What if a Gen Z lived in an eastern seaside cottage and idolized Carrie Bradshaw?"

Laura walking in Swap Omaha
Swap Omaha
Swap Omaha
Swap Omaha finale runway walk.

 

Next up was the hostess of the store and the floor, Leah Miles of Shipment Vintage. Leah is quick-witted. There's a basket in her store labeled "slut bucket," full of preloved lingerie. Her clothing tags have handwritten notes, akin to inside jokes about the attached garment. So it came as no surprise that her theme was "Cult Vibes," made up of cool girls wearing robes, sister sets in 70s orange, reds, and yellows, and big bold sunglasses. Oh, and a pair of goat horns.

 

Shipment Vintage

Shipment Vintage

Shipment Vintage finale walk.

 The last show before the intermission was ready to wear with impact from Amanda Failla-Tjarks of Albany and Avers. Amanda gave us wearable fashion while flirting with drama. Coats were aplenty, slung over one shoulder or both, twirled in, and taken off.

Albany and Avers

Albany and Avers 

Albany and Avers

Albany and Avers

I'm not sure what happened during intermission because I was next. While I've been to several (does three count as several?) fashion shows this is my first time behind the curtain. When I get my cue, I send off the first model Lauren, who is wearing the red "Potluck Vintage" suit. This suit represents so much of what Potluck is about: bold, fun, and joyful. A look someone in the Midwest might pick up and say "Where would I wear this?" To which I would reply, "Everywhere!" I believe in bringing festiveness to everyday life.

Potluck Vintage lined up for the runway walk. 

Laura in a red 80s suit for Potluck Vintage.

Next is Auggie in a yellow broomstick skirt and matching shirt with a denim collar. Followed by Adeline in my mother's '90s denim and lace doily vest and coordinated knee-length cut-off denim shorts. Viy wore one of my favorite sets, a cream linen jacket and long skirt with an elaborate yellow, pink, and purple floral pattern. Aubrey wore the two-piece navy '90s set open, showing their lovely chest tattoo. Nicole closed the show in a dress close to my heart, a long yellow plaid '70s bridesmaid dress. She donned a coordinating yellow hat from Spearmint Vintage. I wore this dress as the third of four looks at my wedding.

 Auggie in a yellow floral 90s matching set.

Adeline in a denim vest and denim shorts.

Viy in a 90s linen floral suit.

Aubrey in a matching navy skirt and top.

Nicole in a 70s yellow plaid bridesmaid dress and coordinating yellow hat.

The models wore flats, flatforms, sandals, and skater shoes. Since the characters were on lunch break, I wanted the vibe to be relaxed.

 Potluck Vintage finale walk.

I had only met one of these models before the fitting, but on the day of the show, I could see myself in all of them. I could see myself in a visible tattoo, in every scuffed tennis shoe, in the years of my life when I had short bangs, long bangs, and no bangs. I could see myself in the wide smiles.

 Close-up of Adeline in Potluck Vintage.

Close-up of Auggie in Potluck Vintage.

Close-up of Aubrey in Potluck Vintage.

Close-up for Laura in Potluck Vintage.

Close-up of Nicole in Potluck Vintage. 

I started selling vintage in the spring of 2023. I had been collecting for years, from garage sales, thrift shops, and other sellers like Maude, The Way We Wore, Lion's Mane, and Spearmint Vintage. In my first garage sale memory, I'm about eight years old. I walked to the end of my street in Missouri, dug through a box, and selected two shirts: a worn cotton cream with a navy and brown checkered outline, complete with matching brown collar and cuffs; and a muted seafoam green cropped floral collared long sleeve button-up from Paris Sport Club (the latter I still own). I paid for them with three weeks allowance, or as the seller called it, three dollars.

 

After several months of being a vendor in a local downtown Omaha shop, I formalized Potluck Vintage (naming it, paying taxes (yay?), etc.). I started selling at pop-up events. This for me, was the thing. The thing that made me excited to sell vintage. Much like being on a stage, sharing the thing you love with total strangers is invigorating. The moment when you connect over a fabric, print, or shape it feels like new blood is pumped through your body. It's totally energizing. I suppose that's the definition of an extrovert, but as someone who is only 55% on the yapper scale, I often prefer the rehearsed speech of the stage or the icebreaker of a prom dress vs the improvisation of random conversation.

 

As I walked the finale with my models, I waved to my mom. I caught her taking photos of all the looks throughout the night. She had her glasses on and leaned back so that her farsighted eyes could see the screen. She had a big grin on her face and looked really proud of me.

 

Sarah Johnson of Petal Pink Vintage was up next. She is known for her exquisite taste and her ladylike garments. Her theme was "The Swans" as in Capote vs The Swans. It gave rich and bitchy and we were here for it. I'm still obsessed with that silk '40s tan frock with black gloves and hat.

 Petal Pink Vintage

Petal Pink Vintage

Petal Pink Vintage finale walk.

Conscious Collections closed with "Dystopian Synth Carnival" from self-described "fish" Kelly Bello of Spearmint Vintage. Her show surpassed the name, full of what you might expect (sequins and batons) and definitely what you did not expect (Daft Punk costumes, fake plastic gray Elvis hair, and a smoking vintage boy doll). The show closed with Thing 1 (but not Thing 2) and visible smiles from the audience.

 Spearmint Vintage

Spearmint Vintage

Spearmint Vintage

Spearmint Vintage

Spearmint Vintage

Spearmint Vintage

Because we shared models between the first and second half, there was no stampede of looks, no recap. We had other plans. Like all good citizens of capitalism, we are compelled to sell. Backstage, or maybe more fittingly, "backshop," the models flug their looks off and slipped them back onto hangers. We snatched our looks and rolled our racks out of Shipment Vintage and into Floors! Floors! Floors! The physical presence of the clothes shifted the night to drinking, chatting, and trying on. The dressing room and bathrooms were stuffed with clothes and girls, a never-ending rotation of bodies and fabric. How does one know when the party is over? I'm not sure, I've never stayed long enough to find out.

 :D Amy Sand, Potluck Vintage

Thanks to all the lovely humans in this story!

MC/Conscious Collections Creator: Lauren Bates @sustainably_lb

Host: Leah Miles Floors! Floors! Floors! @floorsfloorsfloors_7052maple

Shipment Vintage: Leah Miles @shipmentvintage

Swap Omaha: Lauren Bates and Sami Hartong @swapomaha

Albany and Avers: Amanda Failla-Tjarks @albanyandavers

Petal Pink Vintage: Sarah Johnson @petalpinkvintage

Spearmint Vintage: Kelli Bello @spearmintvintage

Photographer: Wyatt Fangman @wyattfangman

 

Sarah Johnson (left) of Petal Pink Vintage and Amy Sand (right) of Potluck Vintage

 

 

 

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