Julia Dobrogolovtseva, founder of the So Retro vintage store

Recently we told what is vintage, how does it differ from second-hand and how are things with it in Russia, and also listed 10 rules for handling vintage now. It is impossible not to notice that over the past two years, a dozen vintage projects have appeared of a completely different format: from online stores to studios, where they come by personal recording, and showrooms. Many of them took part in the Lambada market that specializes in vintage (and not only), which took place at the weekend in Tsvetnoy department store. We asked several of them about what is happening with the vintage in Moscow, why they like things from past eras and how to wear them in 2013.

Julia Dobrogolovtseva

FOUNDER So Retro

We try to sell a lot of inexpensive jewelry: after all, I don’t want to turn the store into a museum

Over the past five years, the situation with vintage stores has changed dramatically. If earlier the main store was considered "Freek Frak", now it has more than enough competitors. I really like Alina Lysova’s Vintage Voyage. Of course, compared to the same London, there is very little vintage in Moscow. I think it's partly in relation to buyers. When people come to us, they often want to get a new-looking product without flaws, although the wear on the vintage jewelry is a rather frequent phenomenon. We also do not have a proper range in stores. I think that both democratic and more expensive things should be in one place, and we often get hung up on either the suite - and the vintage becomes inaccessible for buyers - or something very inexpensive. We try to sell a lot of inexpensive jewelry: after all, I don’t want to turn the store into a museum.

About 10-15 years ago I began to pay attention to the fact that the beautiful prints from the dresses and costumes of my mother had disappeared somewhere. On duty, I often went abroad and there opened a vintage. I started collecting clothes and jewelry, and now collecting has grown into a business: I opened the So Retro jewelry store. First, we had a group on Facebook, an online store and Instagram are now functioning, and about three weeks ago a partner appeared — a girl designer — and we opened a showroom on Novinsky Boulevard.

I buy jewelry in London, Berlin, Jerusalem, there are suppliers from America, but most often I buy everything myself - it is important to see the thing live. By the way, an absolutely amazing vintage cluster is in Brussels. You can buy through several sources. For example, there are vintage collectors who send out catalogs for which I choose jewelry and then redeem them at a meeting. There are also fairs and ruins. At the flea market in Berlin, I found five Dior jewelery at very affordable prices in perfect condition. How to distinguish a real designer jewelry from a fake? Here it is necessary to focus on its marking, and usually marking does not lie: this is most often the name of the House and the year of production of the product. I always carry a magnifying glass with me and look through the labeling of the jewelry. There are also incidents. Recently, Elsa Schiaparelli's brooch appeared on the market, and a line would necessarily have lined up, but an error was made in the marking of Elsa Schiaparelli. Remember that often the nameless thing can be much more beautiful than the designer thing. Recently, a simple brooch of incredible beauty from my shop was presented to Alexander Vasilyev. I hope he puts it on the air. Now everyone is hunting for silver of the 1920s, I recently saw a collection of micromosaics of the 1890s, a woman from St. Petersburg bought it. Of course, vintage Chanel jewelery is appreciated: they are no longer sold for 10 euros, as it was 10 years ago.

visagiste: Julia Timonina

Stylist:Daria Kuzminova

Photographer: Andrey Gerasimchuk

Wonderzine is grateful to the NAKED Studios for their help in filming.