Vintage lover: Jannine Newman
Jannine Newman is founder of The Assembly Market, a pop-up fashion and interiors event in London. Having worked as an interior designer for many years, on turning 50, Jannine decided to follow a new venture, ‘I scratched an itch (so to speak), set up a short-lived loungewear brand called Under The Cloth and needed somewhere to sell it. So when I applied and wasn’t accepted into a market, I got a bit cross and thought I’d start my own!’ Now, twice yearly, she runs a series of curated vintage and independent designer/maker markets (details of November/ December events, below).
Founded in 2018, the Assembly Market has become a great platform for vintage fashion lovers and sustainable designer brands, ‘The first weekend we had 3000 through the door,’ says Jannine, ‘ It was a real surprise!’ Over the last couple of years Jannine has spent time building up her community, ‘ I had to work hard to gain trust but it’s been successful because I value what the sellers do. And the brands love it because they meet like-minded customers, connect with other brands, find new collaborative partners as well as finding a warm and supportive community. I now consider many of them my friends.’
Photos: Jannine Newman
Having studied both fashion and interior design, Jannine has always enjoyed mixing second-hand and modern clothes. ‘Vintage has always been a part of my psyche since I was a child,’ she continues, ‘I have always loved old things, and I’ve always felt a great pull to rescue and reinvent them. I love the contrast of when you put something old into a contemporary setting. Nothing starts off vintage, it earns that title by surviving and ageing. I feel like that is very precious thing – a sense of the past, a memory. Vintage can be evocative yet can be entirely functional.’
Scenes and sellers from the market
As well as running the events, Jannine mentors some of the newer sellers, ‘If it’s their first experience of selling and meeting customers, it can be daunting so I get them to the point where they are ‘market ready’. If someone contacts me and I know they aren’t quite there yet, but I can see they have great stock, I will work with them to clarify their branding and what their business is and generally advise them. I take chances on people and I like to help them tweak things so they present better. I’m strict with presentation (!) but they know that and I think it’s why they apply.’
If you’re unable to attend the events in person, it’s definitely worth following some of the vintage sellers on Instagram. Here are nine of The Assembly Market regulars:
Ella Pop Shop
Vintage Akimbo Finds
Fir and Fable Vintage
Olivia Lewzey
Vivienne Ridley (jewellery)
Black Pearl Vintage London
Hilda Vintage
Patina Home (interiors)
Cup and Saucer UK (interiors)
Read my tips on buying vintage and discover a few of my favourite second-hand sellers HERE.
