A lovely big welcome to our Living Doll for October - absolutely stunning Ximena Trunoske
What does 'vintage' mean to you?
Anything pre 1960.
What was it that first prompted your interest in vintage culture?
When I was a little kid my Mum always recalls how I would sit and watch vintage films for hours. I was particularly fond of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, but if it was old and it was on TV I’d probably watch it. When I moved into my teens however I went through a lot of different stages in an attempt to find out who I was and what I liked. I tried Nu-Metal, Punk, Goth, Emo, Scene and Indie but non of them really seemed to stick. And then one night I was out at a small indie club near where I live with friends and I saw a couple of girls in leopard print with Betty Bangs. When we were driving home I asked my friend who they were and he said they were ‘rockabillies’ which wasn’t a term I’d actually encountered before but I knew right then I wanted something of that aesthetic. Over time I became more interested in 1950s vintage than Rockabilly. The aesthetic of the 50s really appealed to me and combined a lot of interests I already had but had previously felt very separated. All the kids at school used to make fun of me when I told them my favourite musician was Elvis when I was about 9 yrs old, but when I really got into vintage in my late teens it all started to make sense!
What is your favourite era, and do you 'live it' every day?
My favourite era is the New Look era of the post war years. Particularly 1950-1954. I don’t get to wear the clothes every day as I’m a manager of a high end high street womens brand and have to wear their clothes to work, but I wear it whenever I’m not at work, and my makeup is always done in a 50s style. That said, my husband and I collect 1950s homewares and music too, so although I may not wear the clothes all the time I’m certainly surrounded by the era every day! We also go out dancing pretty much every week at vintage clubs around London. My ideal would be to eventually get a job where I could wear the clothing and hairstyles everyday, but I may have to wait on that!
Tell us about your favourite item of vintage clothing, kitchenalia, music, furniture or whatever !
One of my favourite pieces is a 1950s floral dress with a big bow in the back. I don’t get to wear it out that often as dry cleaning it costs a bomb (£26 a time. Ouch) so I save it for special occasions. I’ve always loved it but one day I was sitting watching Mad Men with my husband and suddenly Betty Draper appears in the same dress. And you know that woman has style! And to top it off, the new Betty Draper Barbie Doll they’ve brought out is wearing the dress as well. That’s made the dress very special to me as I love the Mad Men series. Another piece I love is a late 1940s suit I found in a thrift store in Michigan for $8 this summer. I’m not much of a suit person but this one is in cherry red and you can’t beat it for eye-popping colour. I also have a beautiful taffeta maroon and black striped strapless dress and match bolero that I found in a charity shop over here for £20 when I was 17. I don’t get to wear that one much either as it’s very delicate and not terribly appropriate for dancing in.
Can you share with us why vintage culture continues to hold such appeal for you?
I think partly because everyone has their own take on it. When I look at a lot of other sub-cultures all the people involved tend to look the same. But with vintage everyone retains their own style. Some love the suits of the late 40s, some love the outlandish shirts and argyle prints of the 50s, some love pretty lace dresses and pillarbox hats, others love the military looks of the 40s. Everyone looks different and everyone adds something to the scene. Each person has kept their individuality while maintaining a similar interest. And everyone has a story to tell. I love meeting new people in the vintage scene and getting to know more about them.
Do you have any tips for anyone starting out in the vintage scene?
Go out and dance! It’s such a great way to meet people and make friends who have the same interest as you. It’s also a whole lot of fun. And don’t be afraid to join forums, I’ve met a lot of friends who lived surprisingly close to me through vintage themed forums (the one I used to use when I started out was The Fedora Lounge). Also, ask questions. There will always be people who know more than you and who are more than happy to help out. One thing I’ve learnt from being part of the London Vintage Scene is how friendly everyone is and how willing they often are to help each other out.
Now is your chance to provide us with an overview of who you are and what you do....
My real name is Ximena and my married surname is now Trunoske, leaving me with a very complicated name! I just turned 25 and will have been married to my husband Adam for two years as of Friday 13th August. I work for a womens clothing company called Whistles and my husband works for a vintage, retro and antiques store called The Old Cinema in Chiswick. I love sewing and make a lot of repro outfits for myself, and occasionally for friends. Our dream is to one day open a vintage shop of our own.
Finally, what or who inspires you and why?
I constantly look for different sources of inspiration. I’m always trawling the internet for new images (the Google LIFE archives are particularly good for this), and my husband and I have a large collection of books that I like to go through when I’m feeling uninspired. I also love visiting a store near us called Attic which stocks vintage and upcycled furniture, and little bits and pieces for your home. I also love looking at all the different people I meet on the vintage scene in London, I think they will be endlessly inspiring to me with all their panache. I also admire the style and grace of Audrey Hepburn. I think that, like most people, my inspiration comes from lots of different sources, because there’s so much about vintage to discover it would be a shame to narrow your options!
