Vintage fashion is a passion for many, but for Rowena Farrugia, it’s also a business enterprise! What started off as a sideline idea coinciding with her full-time job as an English teacher, Lady Kitt Vintage has taken off and become a full-time commitment.
Whether it's organising photo shoots for online sales or planning the next event, Rowena has got stuck into sourcing and peddling her hand-picked finds for magpie fashionistas from far and wide! Lady Kitt vintage specialises in gorgeous vintage dresses, and if you're a print lover, you're in for a treat! From funky florals to geometric stunners, there's something for everyone wishing to express themselves in something a little out of the ordinary.
Rowena's stock selection dates all the way back to midcentury up until the '80s, so you'll be able to spot anything from full circle skirts to mod mini-dresses and puffy prom dresses. Lady Kitt Vintage is also big on accessories, so you can pick up a pretty printed scarf or pair of show-stopping earrings to add a touch of retro glamour to your outfit. We had a chat with the Kitt Lady herself to get the lowdown on all things retro!
Hi Rowena! Tell us, how did you get into wearing vintage?
My fascination with vintage clothing runs deep - it’s rooted in my childhood - so it’s a little hard to identify a specific trigger or pin down a particular period when I actually began wearing vintage. That being said, I began to amass vintage clothes when I started travelling around 15 years ago and experienced my first vintage boutiques and thrift stores. It was a matter of accessibility really - it became a lot easier to incorporate genuine pieces from the '60s, '70s and '80s into my wardrobe once I discovered entire spaces brimming with these gorgeous, rare finds from bygone years!
And how did you get into selling vintage?
My passion for vintage was obviously the driving force, but Lady Kitt Vintage was also born out of a desire to provide like-minded vintage enthusiasts with pre-loved gems at a time when there were few vintage boutiques and markets on the island, back in 2015. I figured that the disappointment I often experienced at the lack of vintage must have been felt by others!
Having little retail experience, I thought it best to test the market and start small. After selling a few of my own vintage pieces at a car boot sale, I decided to source a handful of items of clothing and some jewellery. I then enlisted the help of a patient friend who shot some pictures of my collection and designed my logo and set up a Facebook page. The response that I received was so encouraging that it gave me the confidence to organise a pop-up shop and since then, Lady Kitt Vintage pop-ups have been growing, both in terms of stock, and as far as customers are concerned.
Where do you source your vintage stock?
I’m constantly on the lookout for eye-catching vintage pieces whether I’m trawling a flea or antiques market or wandering the streets of one of my favourite vintage haunts in Europe. I feel it is essential to hand pick the items myself rather than rely on stock provided by a wholesale supplier, and while I have purchased a couple of lovely items online, nothing quite beats the experience of seeing and handling clothing to assess its quality and value.
Agreed! Lastly, how do you hope customers feel when shopping, buying and, of course, wearing LKV?
I always hope to generate a sense of excitement amongst vintage lovers who crave the vintage boutique experience and head down to my pop-up shops hoping to find that special, unique piece.
When it comes to wearing LKV clothing and accessories, it’s always lovely to consider how customers will use the items purchased to express themselves, craft narratives and create different personas through their outfits. My customers are so wonderfully creative - I just love the way that they add their own vibrant chapter to the already colourful history of the piece they’re wearing!
Inspiring! Thank You Rowena and we can't wait to check out your next pop-up shop!