A Time Machine in George Street
HELEN MURPHY & NICK PELLING visit an almost new vintage outlet
What does the concept of vintage clothing actually mean? Some might think it is just second-hand stuff, coming round again; aimed at people who find nostalgic costumery a cosy escape from grim modernity and maybe – for some of our readers – it might be thought frippery in tough times. But, arguably, carefully selecting from the past’s wardrobe is an art form. One such style curator is undoubtedly Donna Grimaldi: the new queen of classic vintage in Old Town.
Earlier this year Donna set up her vintage clothing shop, Bobby and Dandy, in George Street, moving here after a decade or so in Brighton. It has to be admitted that there are a lot of vintage types around in Hastings (we don’t mean old people) but Donna’s approach is distinctive and discerning. As she says, “all the clothes are hand-picked from around the world.” Her shop is certainly an interesting mix: a veritable treasure trove in what feels like a fashion cave. If you are into Americana stylings, French peasant workwear (not for wearing to actual work, of course) or just exploring the fashion landscapes from the 1940s through to the 1980s, it is definitely worth a visit.
DAYS AND NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS
Donna told us she had always had “a feeling” for retro stuff. She developed a real love for the 80s look and sound – partly due to an older brother – even though she is far too young to have experienced it first-hand. But, it seems that she was not always set on a course into the sartorial past. In fact, her career track has been most unusual. She studied psychology in her twenties and for a while, worked as a support worker in mental health. But, even then, she was always collecting vintage at home and selling it privately. The pull of the fashion world eventually led to a course of study. But her steps after that were not always predictable. Extraordinarily, at one point, she found herself joining the circus!
This was the real thing: she lived in a traditional small circus caravan, worked on the costumes, and travelled from town to town in the old school manner. Donna even performed as part of the circus finale as a cabaret-style sailor gal. It was in some ways a tough life with none of life’s comforts – not so much as an oven or a fridge. And yet, as she says, “I didn’t mind it at all.” (Aptly, Donna is also a major fan of Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus.)
A NEW PLANET
Donna is clearly a resilient, beguiling and flexible operator; she was even briefly in an electro-synth band. But her passion for fashion has always been her main mooring. Her vintage offerings have, in recent years, attracted much attention. Bobby and Dandy has been covered by quite a swishy range of magazines: Forbes, Conde Nast, the Sunday Telegraph and many more. She has provided costumes for several television shows, such as Sex Education and Bridgerton. All of that can seem like a world away, but her commitment to Hastings Old Town is quite palpable. She argues that Hastings is now “more interesting and eccentric than Brighton.” When we asked if she was worried about all the competition between the vintage shops of Hastings, she commented that “there are many different ways to do vintage” and that the variety of outlets “simply helps to make this town a destination”. Evidently, fashionistas everywhere like to time-travel and now, in Old Town, they have a new planet to visit.
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