Friday was a big one: I flew to Sydney, spending a social day lunching and afternoon teaing with friends prior to the opening of the Sydney Vintage Clothing Fair.

As we came in, they handed us a brochure – I didn’t look at it until much later so imagine my delight when a trader enlightened me: inside was a full page ad for Our Book! Currently in pre-production (there’s still much to be done) I can finally share the name and some details with you – I’ve been keeping a bit mum about it, perhaps not wishing to jinx it until it became more of a reality, but now it’s out of the wardrobe at last.

As you may recall, Tira Lewis and I have been working on this for two years, photographing some of the best vintage clothing collections in the country. There will be around 400 colour images of clothing from the 1920s to the 1970s, covering Australian and international fashions, from the every day to couture. As well, the text covers subjects like where to find vintage, what to look for and how to look after it – here is some of the blurb from the publisher’s website:

Love Vintage takes the reader on a charming visual and literary journey through the annals of fashion design. With beautiful photography and an elegant text, It effortlessly reveals both the recurring themes of fashion whilst also identifying the distinct features and innovations of each era…the book contains a wealth of information about fashion design, of high value to both the experienced and novice collector, together with an inspirational collection of photography and drawings that helps describe each piece to its full. Also included are valuable notes on dress construction, vintage designers, and fabrics.

The above is a mock-up cover, designed by Emma Borghesi, who’s working on the layout and design. The final cover will look quite different – we’re still deciding what will go onto it and how it will look. There’s still much to be done but it’s wonderful having it a little bit out into the world now.

We’re hoping to launch “Love Vintage” in October. Hurrah! This book has been a long time coming but I’m excited and if it goes well, hope to write more.