Testimonials

 

Vintage fashion fusion - the past has never been more en vogue- Irish Times 

‘Women have discovered that they can be contemporary while wearing tailored vintage

Two women who competed for Best Vintage of the Year five years ago have become firm friends and now work together to showcase their collectable vintage pieces.

Being pitted against each other for TV3′s Xposé Best Vintage of the Year in 2017 was the unlikely root for the friendship that has developed between vintage aficionados Ella de Guzman and Naomi Fitzgibbon. Since then, the pair have actively joined forces, whereby Fitzgibbons’ selection of individually curated pieces through her online shop Vintage Finds You, have a special space at de Guzman’s Siopaella on Wicklow Street, Dublin, on Saturdays.

De Guzman, the pint-sized, effervescent Canadian, along with partner Steve Ryan, opened Siopaella in 2011. They say it was the first company in Ireland dedicated to the designer resale business, and it now has two stores on Wicklow Street.

As a seller of preloved designer handbags, accessories and clothing, de Guzman is an expert in designer handbag authentication: “I spent time in San Diego training in authentication with NARTS [National Association of Resale Professionals] and for every 30 bags coming in, I get lots of counterfeit ones – both low grade and the super fakes, ones you need a trained eye for. We have traded 145,000 pieces since we opened, and we guarantee a piece as genuine for life. The Gardaí also use me to authenticate seized items and we are also called in to help fight claims via PayPal for people who have been duped online. While some companies use AI (artificial intelligence) to authenticate, I need to see how it smells, feels and weighs to give a true indication to its authenticity”.

 

 

Naomi Fitzgibbon, founder of online boutique Vintage Finds You features in the Irish Examiner

Naomi FitzgibbonNaomi Fitzgibbon

How and why did you start the business?

I honed my style watching my mother who made most of her own clothes as well as those of her seven children. I then became hooked on vintage as a student nurse and amassed a large collection of pieces on my travels.  When I finished my MSc in Clinical Leadership in Health, I decided to start working on my passion and launched Vintage Finds You. I now offer personal appointments and hold regular pop-ups around the country.Tell us about your own favourite vintage piece.

Niall Morris, writer and producer of ‘Callas - the Life of Marie Callas’, was looking for a costume for his lead opera singer. We decided on a 1950s velvet Maggy Rouff dress for one of the scenes, which I got on a Berlin shopping trip. Rouff was a couturier (1929-1963); her father Christoff von Drécoll designed fashions for the Imperial Family of Austria. On further research, I discovered that Rouff had also designed costumes for Marie Callas. The coincidence was incredible.

Why do you think women are reverting to the past to create a present look?

My customers feel it’s quite difficult to stand out in the fast pace of fashion these days and are also very conscious of sustainability. They want something special, good value for money and feel they are giving something back to the planet, one dress at a time.

Share one of your crazy buying tales from across the world.

I tried on a 1950s wool swing coat in a New York thrift store. It was a bit pricy so I didn't buy it. The next morning, I was going home to Ireland and decided to use my taxi money to go the airport to buy the coat. When I got to the shop it was closed. I went to the coffee shop next door and to my amazement, the lady serving me was from the thrift store. She recognised me and told me she put the coat aside; she didn't want anyone else to buy it as she knew I would be back. She even gave me a discount and I could afford my taxi to the airport. I still have the coat receipt.

 

 Delighted to be featured as on of the top online vintage store, read it here:

https://bit.ly/2EcXykd

 

"I didn't even think about wearing a Vintage Dress for an upcoming family wedding, but when I saw this green lace dress I knew it would be perfect. Naomi encouraged  me to try it on and as she said, it was perfect. The family loved it and gave me the seal of approval, (husband and 4 sons!). Thanks Naomi, def going to Vintage Finds You for my next dress"- Suzanne


"Naomi is finally putting her talents to good use by starting her own online vintage business - Vintage Finds You. I've been envious of her incredible imagination with how she dresses and how she always manages to look glamorous in a simple vintage dress. I guess I'll have to buy from her now instead of borrowing everything! Her advice is always spot on and I always feel like I'm expressing my own personality in how I dress and that's hard to in this day and age"

- Jane.


"You know when your going out to an event and you make a real effort, wearing something special, hair, nails done, and you feel fab. You get to the event, and find 10 others are wearing the same type of outfit and you wish you had worn something else. Then Naomi shows up and blows us all out of the water you just say to yourself, now where did she get that stunning outfit, and you find out its one of her vintage finds and wish you had worn something like that. I'm definitely getting my next special outfit form Vintage Finds You."
- Katie


I just want to say, I just came across your site an so far have placed 2 orders. i fear your site may not be good news for my bank account, but great news for my wardrobe!


i just want to let you know i received my Karl Lagerfeld coat and il thrilled , thanks for the earrings you in clued, such a loverly surprise, I already have my eyes on a few more pieces.
‘Vintage Finds You is my Holy Grail for Vintage’ says Lorna Jennnings Managing Director, Dublin at Hanover Communications. She believes Vintage clothes are great for giving your clothes a bit of personality.
As busy executive Lorna knows that she needs making the work wardrobe that bit more interesting and memorable. “I love the idea of clothes having a story, that they were worn interesting places by interesting people from another era. I like to think I am one link in a chain of people who will wear and appreciate lovely clothes and craftsmanship’
As a valued customer Lorna says Vintage Finds You ‘is my holy grail for vintage’. Naomi has such an infectious enthusiasm (and encyclopaedic knowledge) for everything vintage, which always makes it so fun. She knows what suits you and has an amazing sense of style – it always gives me ideas for things to try!
Vintage, Something different. I am always looking for something a little different, it’s my designer instinct, but I have never ventured into vintage clothing before.
Vintage clothing I would think is better quality and styling than some modern clothing, and its always nice to have something quirky. My first and only experience of buying vintage was with Naomi, and she was fantastic. Naomi has an eye for design, knows how to style things up, and really knows what suits you as an individual. The clothing is not hugely expensive either. It was an absolute pleasure dealing with Naomi, and I’m sold on the idea of vintage. I ended up with a Jean Muir dress that always gets positive comments when I wear it. Thank you Naomi Barbara Monahan Visual Branding Consultant with CUBE Design
Sonya Lennon Wears her Vintage Finds You accessories, 60’s earrings and her gold belt as a necklace, ultimate style maven!

I had always dreamed of wearing vintage for my wedding and Naomi helped me me achieve that. Thanks so much Naomi. I had always dreamed of wearing vintage for my wedding. I had my ermine fur cape, a present from my favourite Aunt, but where would I find the perfect dress? ‘Vintage Finds You‘ and Naomi, found it for me. It was the subtle lilac colour which first caught my eye and when I tried it on, I knew immediately it would be perfect for my special day. The style, the shape, the length and so easy to wear on the day. It was made for me and it was perfect with my little vintage ermine cape. Naomi has some beautiful vintage clothes, so for your next special occasion, I would highly recommend ‘Vintage Finds You’ and have lots of fun choosing your unique outfit. I’ll be back!! I’ll never forget the day Marie came to visit to look for dress for an event she was going. So she said. I had pulled a few pieces for her, thinking of her dark hair, and beautiful figure. When she arrived and told me the ‘event’ was her wedding, I was dumbstruck. I didn’t have a clue and was so honoured that Marie had come to Vintage Finds You to look at dresses for her wedding. The pressure was ond after trying on a few dresses, she narrowed it down to two, then the one.

“I didn’t even think about wearing a Vintage Dress for an upcoming family wedding, but when I saw this green lace dress I knew it would be perfect. Naomi encouraged me to try it on and as she said, it was perfect. The family loved it and gave me the seal of approval, (husband and 4 sons!).

Sizanne. 

Thanks Naomi, def going to Vintage Finds You for my next dress” Jane

“Naomi is finally putting her talents to good use by starting her own online vintage business – Vintage Finds You. I’ve been envious of her incredible imagination with how she dresses and how she always manages to look glamorous in a simple vintage dress. I guess I’ll have to buy from her now instead of borrowing everything! Her advice is always spot on and I always feel like I’m expressing my own personality in how I dress and that’s hard to in this day and age.” 

Angela

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