Posted Feb 18, 2010, 9:41 am
Paula Taylor always stands out in a crowd. A Tucson scene fixture, she is almost always the best-dressed woman at any event she attends.
On Saturday, her latest Pop-Up Shop at Zoe Boutique, 735 N. Fourth Ave., will offer women the chance to check out some of the most interesting pieces in her vast collection, and to consult with the style maven herself about constructing a look.
Taylor has been in the industry for 17 years. She opened her first boutique, Ultravivid, on Congress Street in 1995. While her ideas were urban, hip and completely fresh for Tucson, carrying both vintage clothes and new designers, including the now ubiquitous Juicy line, the business was ultimately unable to stay open.
"It was downtown Tucson in 1996 – I had no qualified market, even for $40 dresses."
Her next project was the upscale boutique Pour Moi; this time, Taylor had done her market research, and knew that there was a demand uptown for designer labels. Pour Moi was successful enough that Taylor sold the boutique two years ago to a favorite employee.
The Pop-Up Shop is a model designers and retailers in the fashion world are finding increasingly practical and profitable. A pop-up can also intersect with other cultural events, moving as it does from location to hip location. And unlike a fixed retail location, the pop-up can redefine itself for each event.
For Saturday's Pop-Up Shop, Taylor's goal is to bring vintage designer work to a younger audience. She will be keeping her price range reasonable — about $40-$500 — and will be featuring vintage designer pieces from the 60s through the 90s.
Taylor insists that our definition of vintage needs to change. No longer does a vintage dress mean a 40s or 50s housedress missing its belt; on both coasts, the hottest looks on many a red carpet include vintage pieces from 70s and 80s designers.
This sale has several such must-have pieces, including several Moschino pieces, as well as some amazing and timely Halston caftans. Big names from the 70s and 80s like Stephen Burrows and Geoffrey Beene will be represented, as will vintage pieces that reflect what is showing on runways at fashion weeks all over the world this year.
"I have some gorgeous beaded dresses that suggest what was on Balenciaga's runway for fall, and an amazing one-shouldered Gaultier suit. The one-shoulder thing is very now," advises Taylor.
As to her approach as a stylist, Taylor insists that she is no Rachel Zoe; she has no interest in foisting her personal style on her clients:
"As a stylist, or as anyone in the fashion biz, it’s not your job to make little yous out there. It’s your job to help the customer find their ideal self with the clothing. Service the customer. As for Rachel Zoe — the only thing we share is that we both love Halston. But not everyone can be Bianca fricking Jagger in a Halston."
The sale will start at 10 a.m. According to Taylor, her best clients tend to come early for the best garments in the show, but the event runs through the early evening, so working girls will have a chance to find something unique to add to their wardrobe. As for working vintage pieces into a working woman's wardrobe, that is Paula Taylor's exact agenda. These clothes are not just for the bohemian:
"My job is to make vintage not so scary, and not costumey. This is not Halloween. This is fashion. I hope to help people combine vintage with new and creating their own look."
1 comment on this story
LOVE this! Not sure how I missed it Friday or I’d have been there for sure on Saturday. Thanks!