Dublin Vintage Store Lucy’s Lounge is 25 This Year! Feck TV Caught Up With Lucy For a Quick Chat

Lucy’s Lounge Dublin is 25 Years old. Feck TV Reporter, Rachel, Caught Up With Lucy to Discover What Inspired the Vintage Style Store.

For those of you are unfamiliar with Lucy’s Lounge, it is a wonderful store which hosts an eclectic mix of handmade and vintage inspired pieces. Tucked away in the heart of Dublin’s central busy shopping district, Temple Bar, Lucy’s Lounge provides the shopper with something you won’t find in ANY high street store, a unique, wonderful find at a bargain price and sold with a smile.

For me, stepping foot inside Lucy’s Lounge is like walking into a dream, leave your problems at the door thank you very much as you explore Lucy’s imagination and discover delicate, individual pieces you had only ever wished you could own. Now you can. As most of the clothes, jewellery, trinkets and giftwear are hand crafted you know whatever you buy was made with love and is meant just for you.

Like a treasure trove, you never know what you may discover as you wander through, then down the spiral staircase into the Aladdin’s cave of clothes, shoes and an assortment of ornaments, jewellery, hats and other things. If you love markets, you will love Lucy’s Lounge as it is just the same, only a permanent fixture.

Lucy is not constrained by decade or genre. She has her own image, free in the knowledge that your imagination, creativity and style let lose can do amazing things. Everyone should dress exactly how they feel, away from convention or “trend”.

We chatted to Lucy about her personal style and what it is like owning a unique store such as this one.

Q1. At what age did you first become interested in vintage and what sparked the interest?

My big interest isn’t really vintage, it’s expressing yourself through how you dress . Wearing vintage clothes is a by product of that.
I have always loved clothes since I was a kid. I got my first shop at 17. I’m 47 now, I don’t have an interest in any particular era and I don’t dress to replicate any part of the past 80 years. Saying that, I have plenty of old clothes in my wardrobe, but they are there as part of whatever image I am trying to convey.

Q2. What made you decide to open up a shop?

Back in the day Dublin was a pretty dreary place. I was a New Romantic. I went clubbing every week and there was nowhere to buy the clothes I wanted, so I thought I should supply this service to all the other kids who wanted to dress up as I did.

Q3 What is your favourite part about owning a vintage store?

I love business, clothes and people. I hate obeying other peoples’ rules, so working for myself is a must.

Q4. Any downsides?

It’s hard work and it has made me age prematurely. I’m obsessive about it to the neglect of family and friends.

Q5. Over the years who have been the most interesting people you have met and why?

I meet interesting people all the time through the shop. It is true fact is stranger than fiction. The stories I hear are amazing. There isn’t one person I can think of. In general I love people who have a free spirit and who live their life to their own rules and who aren’t conventions fool.

Q6. Any interesting stories to share?

One day a I wasn’t in the shop I came in at 5pm. A whole rail of clothes was missing . It was clothes we made up. I thought we had being robbed the girl in the shop told me a Japanese man had come in and bought it all. He wanted more, we started selling to Japan.

Q7. Where do you find the pieces?

I travel all the time seeking out many treasures .I have someone in London and Berlin who work for me, they send me finds.

Q8. You have some designers working in store, where do you find them and what qualifies them to work in Lucy’s?

The designers usually find us. We are always putting the word out that we are looking for creative people. To work for us you have to be really good at sewing and putting things together. Our own Lucy’s range is designed by us. We get people to put it together. The collaborations we do are with people we find at colleges, markets or on line.
Q9. If you could style anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

I would never like to style someone. I only have the urge to dress myself. I would love to meet Grace Jones , Bjork, Yolandi from Die Antwoord, and some other stars in that vein.

Q10. What is your favourite vintage piece you own?

For the last few years I have been obsessed with Miss Havisham.
I love lace and worn clothes that tell a story. I have bought a selection of clothes from a designer called Mei Hui her label is Victim. She makes dresses from old fabric. You have to make an appointment to go to her studio in Brick Lane in East London. Her clothes I love.

Q11. Is there anything you just could not part with?

I never lend my clothes to anyone and I am very careful about them. I have a room in my house as my closet. Everything is stored with lots of ventilation and space. Some items are in boxes. I have 4 dogs and they are never allowed in that room. My clothes are very personal and precious to me. Saying all that, if the house was to go on fire I would let the clothes burn and enjoy the journey of building up my collection again.

Q12. Finally, where is your favourite place to shop?

Where ever I go my favourite place is markets . Dublin has some great ones at the moment. The Flea, The Mingle, The Grand Social.

Following our interview, while looking at Lucy’s blog, I had to ask where she got inspiration for the outfits she wears and how do people react to such an individual look, the answer I got was surprisingly pleasant;

I have always worn clothes like this. it is who I am. different looks are inspired by ideas, images or the written word. I love the whole process of putting an image together. I get a huge amount of positive feedback . people love my clothes and are very complimentary and curious. I meet a lot of people similar to myself in the shop and it is like any other pursuit we have conversations about it. If people say something negative firstly I feel sad for them that they have no imagination. To have that gift has opened so many doors for me. It also is a great escape from the trails and tribulations of life.

Congratulations to Lucy for the success of the last 25 years. It is awesome to see that an individual retailer, with such an open mind and approach, is standing strong when so many are closing down and also providing a unique service that the bigger chain stores don’t come close too. Penney’s Shmeny’s! We <3 Lucy’s Lounge, Come to Cork Lucy! 

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