Clutching a slightly warm glass of rose, last night I ascended the stairs into a fashion nirvana. In nirvana there were racks of spliced cocktail frocks, chunky gold costume jewels and a magical leotard that was half tuxedo shirt.
As part of a three-week residency throughout July, Claire Inc, the online Aladdin’s Cave of 80s and 90s designer one-offs, is settling in upstairs at Alice Euphemia. All these items of wonder and plenty more, can be purchased from the tightly edited collection.
Some people have the knack for scouring through the dross and mothballs of vintage stores and finding all the goodies. Belinda Humphris, the director of Claire Inc, is most definitely of this ilk.
Humphris got her start on eBay selling the incredible pieces that she sourced in Europe and America. She then launched her online store in 2009 and has since found hordes of fans both here and over the seas.
Back to last night, and I’m jostling for space with a lust-filled and well-shod fashion crowd. The upstairs section of Alice Euphemia is a well-ordered explosion of madcap colour, texture and delight. There is a display cabinet with Chanel baubles and a rack entirely dedicated to neon blazers like acid gelati.
But despite the crush, everyone is very well behaved. To be honest I was rather expecting a jolly good scrap as people held onto pieces with grim determination. I also didn’t witness, as one might at a sample sale, any unsightly flashes of flesh as people dropped their drawers and tried on clothes on the spot so as to not miss a bargain.
Instead people chatted excitedly and lined up patiently for the change-room. Furtive glances did flit about the space though, as everybody was intensely focused, and yet also easily distracted.
I trailed my hand across labels like Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel and Dior, and spotted here, a Moschino marching girl jacket and there a pleated Ungaro jumper in mustard. A striped Escada blazer in colours like a toucan filled me with happiness. While I didn't buy anything on the night, the prices aren't entirely outrageous for a struggling scribe.
It then occurred to me that there was a certain sense of reverence here; nobody wanted to behave badly in front of such beautiful clothes. And there’s something quite wonderful about a shopping experience that can do that.
The Claire Inc residency will be upstairs at Alice Euphemia for three weeks until the 21st of July. Cathedral Arcade (corner Swanston and Flinders Lane)