Written by Jonathon Carlan.
Delve into the timeless world of retro clothing as Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair returns to Lincoln to host yet another incredible event.
We spoke to Emily Hughes, brand and event manager for the fairs, who, armed with 40 passionate traders, cannot wait to return to the Engine Shed on Saturday May 10th.
Attributing Lincoln to a really great mix of people, of which students are always a massive part of, she said: “We’ve done Lincoln for years and always have a really good time.”
Born from a deep-rooted love of vintage but a distaste for how expensive it was – Judy Berger, founder of Judy’s Vintage Fair, set out to “make vintage accessible to the people”.
Emily explained: “Judy started the company back in 2005 in London where she lived and worked there as a stylist and was just sick of how expensive vintage was.”
After amassing a wide selection of traders and asking them to knock their prices down for the day, momentum grew and the fairs moved up to Leeds and then snowballed into what they are today.
As Judy HQ get ready to celebrate their 10th birthday next year, Emily commented on the success of the fairs as well as their position alongside the high street’s take on vintage: “We’re continuously adapting and evolving to what people want and we’re very conscious of that.”
“[Our traders] tailor what they bring to fairs based on high street trends. Whilst the high street offers an ‘inspired vintage’, at the fairs you can get the original version of the stuff that the high street are copying for half the price.”
Whilst the core of the fair remains the same from city to city – to bring traders from the four corners and sourcing over 60 years of incredible stock, Emily spoke kindly of Lincoln’s extremely charming atmosphere.
She said: “Lincoln always has a really good and very positive crowd. It’s always got a really lovely feel and everyone’s just lovely – it’s just a great day. Everyone goes away with a smile on their face and a bit of cake and it’s really great.”
This time round it’s not just the delicious cakes and vintage music extras they’re boasting about: “We’ve got some amazing girls called The Barbarellas doing vintage hairstyles. If you’re going to Propaganda on a Saturday night, come and get your hair done – it’s a tenner and everyone will be really jealous of you!”
Finally, Emily put to rest any concerns the vintage fair novices may have: “The traders know so much – they’re so knowledgeable. If you need something or you can just ask – I’m feeling a bit of a style change, what would you recommend?
“We’re here to help you have an amazing day. People really shouldn’t be afraid to ask.”
And to Judy’s budding fans: “They know how amazing our fair is. This time round we’ve got some super, super amazing traders and everybody’s got their spring/summer stock. Basically, come and stash up for summer because you’ll be able to do it on a budget.”
Make sure you head down to The Engine Shed this Saturday (May 10th), ready to indulge in all things vintage. Doors to the fair open from 11.00am – 4.00pm and entry costs just £2 (all ages welcome.)