5 Things That Went Through My Head One Week Into Working With the Worlds Largest Unworn Vintage Collection

Saying the title of this article out loud is as confusing, intimidating and possibly as alluring as my feelings were when stepping into the 200 square metre warehouse that will eventually transform into a booming and extreme vintage, fashion sale! With each box that the removalists seemingly tossed into the space (650 to be exact) my original visions of an incredibly trendy and gorgeous shop all began to erase as I quickly looked out onto a sea of unpacked, unpriced and unorganized boxes that would be left to the devices of myself (at the time, only working for Hawkeye Vintage a month) and only a few others...what the @#$!

Of course, these feelings have lifted as its since been a few weeks that I’ve worked with this massive collection,  and I can assure you that slowly but surely my dreamy boho-chic vision of a store is coming back to life. However, here were my initial thoughts when I began working with my boss, Danielle, her mum Gaewyn and our other team member, Caitlyn on preparing 30,000 unworn vintage items to be presented to all of you!

1.“Should I be taking body transformation photos?”

There was no method to the madness when removalists wheeled in boxes upon boxes of boho vintage pieces. Immediately, we began sorting and my month of HIIT kickboxing classes got put to the test as we lifted each individual box to separate sides of the enormous room, trying to find some reasonable way to sort everything. Belts, bags, scarves, jewelry, shoes, clothing, hats and so much more were sorted to certain ends, re-evaluated and then moved to completely different sections- it was the ultimate fitness challenge and was the first initial wake up for me to understand just how massive a sale we’re having here! At the time I didn’t know that the boxes I tirelessly moved around held the most amazing pieces!

2. “If I think unpacking this is daunting, how was this all packed?”

Taking everything out of the box is the next step and is what feels like unpacking a never ending suitcase (if the suitcase items also needed to be looked over, priced and organized). To put it simply, it is not fun but has really made me think about how everything got into the boxes in the first place.

All of our items from this collection have come from one single person. Check out a short interview we did with them here The Voice Behind the Collection. This collector spared no mind in packing up everything perfectly to ensure the items keep in pristine, unworn,vintage condition. It is all folded, layered, protection wrapped and cared for, making every vintage piece as  amazing as possible! I remind myself of this fact when even for a second I find myself quietly complaining- this collector made it as easy as she possibly could to make this event a success for everyone to find something they love!

3.“Must-Get-Better-At-Sewing”

With the movement of circular fashion and remaking becoming so huge, now is truly the best time for this collection to be showcased as SO many pieces are multi usable with scarves, kaftans, accessories and more ranging from any size, colour pattern and texture you can possibly  think of!

Because so many of our pieces consist of incredible fabrics and detailing, we have decided to dedicate a part of our shop to having a “remake section” where creatives who love to cut, sew and repurpose can gather a bundle together and make their DIY dreams come to life! The amount of opportunity that you’ll find with our vintage fabrics, buttons, clasps, strings, beads and more is endless!

4.“Oh fab, another round of ten dollar items” *que eye roll*

As many vintage sales do, prices have been organized and sectioned into colour. This means that one week in I’ve had a good peak at what price ranges are being used most and there is an overwhelming amount of incredible items being tagged with pink or red tags (hint: those are ten and twenty dollar items!) Of course, there are some extra special pieces (the vintage one-off’s, Missoni scarves, incredible and unique bags, etc.), which are being priced higher but that does not take away from the quality and beauty of our lower priced items that we seriously have SO much of.

5.“This room is going to be absolute madness”

Hawkeye Vintage’s past popup sales have been largely known for our high quantities in vintage, designer luxe. While we will still have a wide range gorgeous designer pieces for everyone to peruse, the diversity in styles, sizes, prices and more has me picturing the room that I usually only share with a few others to be flooded with every kind of fashion lover and honestly, I’m scared. The immense quantity of boho and creative pieces instills visions of even the most focused person accumulating the attention span of a goldfish, as their mind runs through the room of what fabulous item to get their hands on next. The variety of items for everyone is certainly exciting for them though TERRIFYING for me.

The point of this confession is not to scare you off but to prepare you for the immensity of this sale and to shed light on the fact that you DEFINITELY want to dedicate a good part of your day to attending this sale so that you can check out all we have to offer! I seriously cannot wait to have everyone join in on this madness and see this collection in all its massive glory!