Ten rapid fire questions with mid-century vintage reproduction designer Franzi Schlupski from Prettie Lanes

It's safe to say that the vintage reproduction and vintage inspired garment industry has grown in absolute leaps and bounds since I first began this blog in the early days of 2009. Back then, in-the-know vintage lifestyle folks could probably name most of the small handful of companies on the market and frequently owned pieces from most of them.

Jump ahead seven years and this arena is now a continually growing industry unto itself, with new brands emerging often around the world, with  some, as is the natural course of things, that sadly aren't able to make a go of it in the long run.

While variety is the spice of life and it's fantastic that we have so many shopping options these days, as the market has grown, so too has the range of brands that while vintage inspired, are not exactly (truly) period appropriate in their designs.

It's awesome to have a mix of different versions and interpretations of vintage styles, but sometimes one wants a straight up vintage reproduction garment that is virtually indistinguishable from the real deal. Enter Prettie Lanes, a Swiss based one woman company that is dedicated to precisely that.




Opened less than a year ago, Prettie Lanes is helmed by Franziski Schlupski, a talented seamstress and vintage adoring lady currently based in Switzerland (but originally from Germany) who custom makes each and every order that her online shop receives.

Franzi, as she often goes by, contacted me recently regarding becoming a blog sponsor, and we've been chatting like old friends ever since.

Though I haven't (yet) had the pleasure of wearing or seeing any of her gorgeous creations in person, I was so struck by the authentic sophisticated mid-century look, attention to detail, and craftsmanship that goes into each of Franzi's vintage reproduction pieces that I knew right I away I wanted to share about her brand with all of you.

A good many of my readers, like myself, enjoy (at least for some of their outfits) the more authentic looking side of the repro world and Franzi's offerings have nailed that to an absolute tee (even employing vintage sewing techniques into the designs of her garments).

Read on to learn more about this fascinating lady, her stunning vintage style garments, what inspires her and why she named her company as she did.



1. Can you please tell us what inspired you to launch your company, (full name) Franziski Schlupski Prettie Lanes, and call it as you did?

I started sewing when I was 11 years old and haven't stopped since then. Over the years more and more people were asking about my clothing and I realized the interest of others into my own designs and at one point - I moved to Switzerland in the meanwhile (I am German) - I just thought- 'when if not now?!'. This is where my 1.5 year-long journey of preparing the launch of my label started.

It took me quite a long way to design and construct the website, source for materials, create the designs and the patterns ... But on 15th April 2015, when I officially opened the online shop - I admit that I was proud to see what I alone had created over all that time :). My 'baby' had finally been born! *Laughing*. Why 'Prettie Lanes'? Take a walk down memory lane and always look pretty! ;P Authenticity and appealing designs are key components of my brand.

{The Boucle Dress in Cream – as seen in Prettie Lane’s graphic above - shown with the Boucle Jacket in Cream}

2. How do you pick the designs that you ultimately create?

To be honest- I simply create what I personally would like to wear <3 No rules. Just a huge love for the mid-century era that leads me in my design process. :)


  {The Floral Wrap Dress}


3. Each of your products is made-to-order. Can you share more of the details about that process?

All of my designs are available in my online shop and can be ordered in sizes S-XL or made-to-measure, if so desired. As soon as an order is placed, the garments are handmade by me within 5-12 business days.

Payments are welcome via PayPal or pre-payment. However, that said, I doing my best to create an inventory of some garments that I'll be taking with me when I visit various (vintage related) festivals this year *yaaaay!*.



{Piquè Cotton Dress in Creme}


4. What in your background (e.g., a love of vintage) inspired to launch your company?

See my reply to question #1. :)



{Classic Cigarette Pants in Cherry}

5. Do you plan to ever offer pre-made garments and if so, will a range of different sizes for the same style (garment) be available?

Let's just say - stay tuned! :P But for sure, there would be several sizes available, like one can choose from already with my made-to-order garments.



{Piquè Cotton Dress in Powder Blue}

6. Your pieces are incredibly authentic looking. What steps do you take to ensure this is the case?

Thank you so much! I would say my three general steps are 1. the authentic designs (i.e. classic skirt lengths, contemporary colors, waist accentuating designs) , 2. the contemporary materials (i.e. metal zipper, rayon tape, self-covered buttons, mainly cotton, rayon, wool fabrics) and 3. the sewing techniques (i.e. hand sewn hem, blind stitching, hand-crocheted belt loops, and in general a lot of hand sewing).

Plus as a finishing touch, I also offer true vintage accessories, like brooches or gloves, on my site so that customers can find a perfect (accessory) match at the same time that they order a garment from me.



{Classic Cigarette Pants in Navy}


7. On average, in US dollars, what is the average price point of one of your creations?

As Swiss Francs and US Dollar are pretty equal these days, you could almost convert prices at a 1:1 rate. The usual price for a dress is $272.00, but prices start at $199.00.

Skirts, trousers and jackets are priced between $157.00-183.00. All are, of course, limited edition designs help ensure that you are unlikely to encounter someone else wearing the same outfit. :)



{Wool Jacket in Dark Red shown with the Wool Skirt in Dark Red}

8. What are your favourite decades personally? Do they differ from the ones that you're currently offering clothing in the styles of?

I adore all things mid-century! ♥ In my shop, I make sure to always offer pieces that I love and can confidently stand behind.



{Wool Jacket in Navy shown with the Wool Skirt in Navy}


9. What are a few fun facts about yourself, the super talented lady behind Prettie Lanes, that you'd like to share with the vintage community?

First of all- thank you so much for these lovely words *blushing*! I am a 'granny's-closet-rifler', 'vintage-treasure-hunter' and a 'lover-of-any-signs-of-ageing-on-vintage-stuff-because-it-shows-its-history'. I never 'learned' sewing.

I found the love of my life more than 10 years ago. I am a dog lover. By accident, I've stitched so often with a needle into my fingers that I fear I someday I might not even realize when that happens anymore *giggling*.



{Classic Cigarette Pants in Dusty Blue}

10. And last, but not least, what can folks look forward to from your brand throughout 2016 and beyond?

Hopefully, I can make it to some festivals, but either way stay tuned for my new designs that coming soon, as well as some improvements in shipping costs I am currently working on for my customers, and I am happy to keep you posted via Facebook and Instagram.


Thank you, Jessica for this lovely interview. ♥


{Knit Dress in Black/Gold}

{All images used throughout this post care of Prettie Lanes.}

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Even without having worn any of Franzi's offerings, I can tell that there is something truly special about them. They look as though they just stepped out of the pages the leading fashion magazines of the 1950s. They're the sorts of things starlets and stylish everyday women alike would have gone weak in the knees fore back in the day and which, no doubt, an abundance of us in the vintage world will do so for right here and now in 2016 (and beyond).

It takes a lot of work, effort, time, dedication and gumption to launch your own repro brand, especially one where each and every order is custom made on the spot, and I have an immense amount of respect for Franzi and everything that she is doing.

Her designs are incredibly timeless, strikingly beautiful and well worth the investment. I can sense that they're the kinds of pieces that one would treasure for many, many years to come and that could also help to fill certain gaps in one's wardrobe, especially if you find authentic 1940s and 1950s suits, dresses, skirts and pants hard to find in your size.

Franzi is a joy to chat with, friendly as the day is long, and always eager to hear from potential customers, so if you want to get in contact before you order from her, that's a-okay.

Pretties Lanes might be the new kid on the vintage reproduction block, but with the kind of superb tailoring, breathtaking designs and great customer service that they offer, I don't doubt it will be long before they too have firmly established themselves as a household name in the vintage reproduction world.

Book Review and Giveaway: Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present from Bloomsbury

With an attention grabbing name like "Fashion Victims" one might expect a book boasting such a moniker to perhaps be a snarky take on street style, haute couture show addicts, or current day wardrobe "fails". Alas, I'm pleased to say, it very little to do directly with any of those things - at least not as we might picture them in the 21st century.

Allow me to explain. You see, Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present - a 256 page volume by author Alison Matthews David, that was published by Bloomsbury last year - is a detailed, intelligently written look at some of the most perilous aspects of clothing over the past three centuries (plus the occasional mention of an earlier period), with a particular emphasis on wearables from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Most of us are familiar with the risks that such garments as corsets and extremely wide hoop skirts posed to their wearers (and in the case of the latter, sometimes, tragically those around them, too), but the hazards of fashion in decades and centuries past goes far, far deeper. In this fascinating book, Ms. Matthews David does an excellent job of exploring seven such wardrobe risk in particular, as well as the roles they played on mainstream culture and the collective psyche at the time that they were most prevelantly a very real problem/risk.

After an engaging introduction, the author jumps straight into exploring the hand that diseased/germ infested materials, toxic (manufacturing) techniques, poisonous pigments, dangerous dyes, potentially deadly clothes (as in those that could easy strange and entangle their wearers), inflammatory fabrics, and explosive fakes (think early plastics and faux silks such as rayon) each played in the lives of everyday people and the well-to-do alike.

Each topic is articulately presented, with no shortage of photos and/or illustrations, and one instantly senses that the author - herself an Associate Professor at the School of Fashion Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario - not only knows the subject matter well, but that she spent a good deal of time researching and really getting to the material she was covering.

Despite the very somber nature of the topics explored within, I didn't find Fashion Victims to be an overly heavy or grisly read. That isn't to say of course that the facts and (in some cases) theories put forth aren't gruesome at times, for they certainly are, but rather that that tone and pace of the book was such that it was an enjoyable read that I got through quickly. In fact, I fully expect I will reread this book multiple times over the years.




Whether one is a passionate historian, collector of yesteryear garb, vintage fan, and/or avid historical costumer, there is a great deal of information to be gleaned and taken to heart in this book. Case in point, and without spilling the beans too much on one chapter, I will never look at – or touch - early fur hats the same way again!

Frequently when we hear about the risks involved in many areas of clothing production and wear in centuries past, we then proceed to think, often erroneously, that we're beyond such dangers nowadays. And while it is true, thankfully, that we now know of the often catastrophic risks posed by certain chemicals, dyes, materials, germs, and even garment styles themselves, as the author astutely touches (including in her final summary chapter), we are by no means immune to hazards and life threatening problems in today's fashion world either.

Each year I read a substantial number of fashion related books, most of which are historically centered, and I can honestly tell you that this one had me on the edge of my seat. While I was already familiar with much of the subject matter, in nearly every instance, I learned more about a particular topic than I was aware of prior to picking up this book and I walked away feeling both well informed and like I'd just had a very eye-opening read.

Quick in tone, lively in spirit (again, relative to the subject matter), and well laid out, Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present is a book that I wholeheartedly believe deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone with even so much as a passing interest in the history of clothing.

As such, I'm delighted to let you know that Bloomsbury - who very kindly furnished me with my own copy (thank you so much!) - has offered one lucky Chronically Vintage reader a chance to win their very own copy of Fashion Victims by Alison Matthews David.


Giveaway details:

This giveaway, which is open to readers worldwide, is for one copy of the book Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present, which will be provided to the winner directly from its publisher, Bloomsbury .

The giveaway will run from today's date (Monday January 18th) until 11:59 PST on Monday January 25, 2016, with the winner being drawn and contacted via email (as well as possibly announced on social media) shortly thereafter.

If you've like to enter, please feel free to do with as many of the following Rafflecopter options as you desire.

The only one that is mandatory for entry is that you leave a comment on this post, the rest are entirely optional. The more that you enter, the greater your odds of winning.

Should you happen to have any questions about this giveaway, drop me an email and I'll be happy to answer them as best I can for you.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present is not only a smartly written, in-depth and deeply interesting book, it is also an important work of historical research and sobering account of some of the very real, very deadly dangers that have lurked - and continue, in certain cases, to reside - in our closets and places of clothing manufacturing alike.
 
I hope that the winner of this giveaway enjoys, and learns from, their copy as much as I did and want to sincerely thank the good people at Bloomsbury for sponsoring this wonderful book giveaway.
 
Best of luck to all those who enter!

Tell me how you store your stud earrings

The better part of three years ago, I wrote a post called How I store my stud earrings in which I shared a dead simple (and incredibly budget friendly) way to organize your (pierced ear style) stud and similar smaller sized earrings.

Then as now, I adore and stand behind that storage method, but as time as gone on and my stud earring collection has grown all the more (thanks in no small part to Claire's continuing, much to my delight, to expand their selection of nickel-free earring options - now, if we could only convince them to produce other types of nickel-free jewelry, like necklaces and bracelets, too! But I digress...), I've found that that approach doesn't really work for me anymore.

At least not if I'm trying to corral all of my stud earrings onto one single piece of material (too heavy/cumbersome, hard to store folded neatly in a small drawer in our en suite powder room, etc).

Last year I decided to go hunting for an alternative solution and hoped that I had found it in earring books, which I bought a few of from an overseas seller on eBay (they're virtually, if not entirely, identical looking to these ones that are available for about the same price on Amazon). I'd known about these types of handy storage books for a few years now and had really, really been itching to give them a go.

While they do certainly work well (especially for tiny sized, not-too-bulky earrings) and look pretty when lined up on a shelf, counter, dresser top or the like, if, like me, your earring collection consists of several dozen pairs, it can be tricky to organize them in the long term in a way that works well for you - or so I’ve found.

Often when I bought a new pair, I'd have to spend quite a lot of time rearranging my earrings as I like to keep similar styles together so as to easy find the ones I’m looking for when putting an outfit together (this is especially important with my collection spaced out across multiple books) and this hassle (relatively speaking, of course) just isn’t doing it for me.

I'm not talking down this storage method, or my previous one, in the slightest and both will work particularly nicely if your collection is on the small to moderate side, as well as if you're not as dead set on having them all continually perfectly arranged by themed/colour/etc in earring books at all times.



{Not only are they often lightweight and comfortable to wear, but stud style earrings frequently channel a fabulous vintage look and are ideal for yesteryear fashion fans. As such, I've amassed quite a collection of store bought and handmade (by me) pairs of the years and now need your help to find the perfect small space storage solution for them. Vintage image source.}


For now, most of mine remain in books, but this method is just not working as well as I'd like (first world problems, believe me I know ;)) and so I'm once again on the hunt for a suitable storage solution for my stud and similar styles of earrings.

A couple of points that are shaping my search are the fact that space is of an absolute premium in our little home and I need something that will take up a ton of room, as well as that, ideally, I want it to be a method that allows for new pairs to easily be added without having to spend time rearranging a lot of the existing ones over and over again.

I'm not opposed to a wall hanging solution either and have been wondering lately if such an approach (assuming the earrings were easy to get on and off, even in the middle of the board/whatever they were displayed on) might be the way to go.

Before I plunk down any more money and/or bust out the craft supplies though, I wanted to ask all of you, my lovely readers, how you store your own stud earring collection.

Plastic divided craft containers (a possible contender for my needs)? Cute trinket trays (I think my collection is too big for that to be my main storage solution)? Earring trees/similar display methods? Attached to sturdy strips of ribbon/twill/canvas? Something else entirely?

Please do tell, I'd love to hear your own approaches as well as any ideas you might have and will keep you informed as time goes on as to what I opt to decide to use (assuming I hit on the right storage method for my current needs, that is).

Many thanks in advance for your impute, my fellow earring fans!