1999 Vintage: In conversation with Harry Edwards.
Updated: Jan 7, 2019
Harry Edwards from ASOS sportswear boutique 1999 Vintage, has been immersed in the world of vintage fashion for over two and a half years since he stumbled across an Instagram page dedicated to pre-loved clothing. Harry, a founder of the brand, was inspired to start buying and selling vintage pieces after his brother and now co-founder, Jack Edwards, came home with a charity shop gem. Jack had picked up a vintage jacket that was similar to what Harry had seen on Instagram, so he went charity shopping himself and ‘it snowballed from there’.
‘I wanted to show people the things I had purchased, and people were willing to pay for them’.
Harry began selling on ASOS marketplace in October 2017 after a long application process but says it has paid off. 1999 Vintage now has over 1,800 followers on Instagram, a modest customer base and is continuing to expand with new pop-up shops being held at the University of Winchester.
The 1999 Vintage debut pop-up shop came to the Uni on Monday 19th November and was a huge success with many peers coming along to check out the collection and support the brand. Pop-up shops are a significant way in which new brands are able to grow and when asked about how Harry’s brand was able to build a customer base, he replied ‘Instagram was key – alongside taking aesthetic photos to build a following and following potential customers who had liked our competitor’s photos’.
1999 Vintage boasts a collection of vintage pieces from renowned brands such as; Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Puma and many more. When searching for new stock 1999 Vintage ‘pride their selves in providing high quality second hand clothes’, the range of brands also enables the boutique to sell a variety of styles.
Furthermore, with consumerism at an all-time high and the UK spending £27 billion alone on clothes each year, it’s time to embark upon sustainable alternatives to this ever-growing issue surrounding fashion industry – pre-loved clothing being one of these solutions. Harry suggested vintage fashion will always be in fashion, especially when ethics are being considered.
'Up-cycling and recycling clothes is essential’.
Finally, we were intrigued to find out how ASOS were going to keep the marketplace updated going into the future. Harry thinks the platform will continue to grow, as will the love of vintage and ASOS the brand itself.
Word by Ellie Pinder
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