Eye For Vintage: Buyer Ruth Higginson on Finding One-Of-A-Kind Pieces
Ever wondered where our One-Of-A-Kind vintage pieces come from? We caught up with Urban Renewal Buyer, Ruth Higginson, to find out where she sources vintage collections, the process involved and the secret to finding stand-out, original pieces for your wardrobe.
Have you always had an eye for thrift shopping?
I’m a magpie at heart and love the idea you can find something with a past life and that is unique to you. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say. My love for vintage comes from… dressing up as a kid and going with my mam on the hunt for a bargain back in the 80s. I think sometimes we forget that high street fashion wasn’t always so readily available, and vintage stores have always been the place to get truly original pieces that your friends won’t have.
How did you turn your passion for vintage clothing into a career?
After a fashion degree at university, I was a menswear buyer for a long time. But a few years ago, I decided it was time for a change and something new. The opportunity to take on an area like Urban Renewal, at a time when we’re all starting to think more about what we’re consuming, felt so right. The draw of vintage was exciting, and I love that my role covers both menswear and womenswear, and has such a broad reach in terms of sourcing and product. Once I started, it felt like the perfect fit and I’ve never looked back.
The selection process for One-Of-A-Kind pieces starts with… the support of my suppliers, in the UK, Europe and North America. They will help to look out for certain branded pieces and save them for us, but it’s always in the back of my mind when looking through vintage. OOAK pieces can just jump out at you, they’re usually stand-out, statement finds that won’t stay hidden for long. We plan stories and I can know what I’m looking for, but sometimes it’s just about collecting the pieces we love and then creating a story once they’re back at the office
Do you hand select every OOAK item UO sells?
Not just me, but the buying team as a whole select every piece we offer in the OOAK collections. We’re a team of 4 and a lot of work goes into creating the OOAK stories. Depending on how we pull the product together, it can be a more limited collection of 10-15 pieces, or bigger stories of 50 pieces at a time. That’s the beauty of vintage one-offs, you never know how many styles you will find and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
After you have selected OOAK pieces – what happens next?
Once the pieces are selected, they’re quality checked and washed by our supplier before being sent to UO HQ. We group the garments into stories and complete final quality checks, decide on pricing and prepare for them to go live online or in-store. Every garment is shot by our photography studio, before being ticketed, packed and sent to the warehouse ready for shipping. It’s a real labour of love for the team, as every piece goes through a long, and very hands-on process.
I’m a magpie at heart and love the idea you can find something with a past life and that is unique to you. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say. My love for vintage comes from… dressing up as a kid and going with my mam on the hunt for a bargain back in the 80s. I think sometimes we forget that high street fashion wasn’t always so readily available, and vintage stores have always been the place to get truly original pieces that your friends won’t have.
How did you turn your passion for vintage clothing into a career?
After a fashion degree at university, I was a menswear buyer for a long time. But a few years ago, I decided it was time for a change and something new. The opportunity to take on an area like Urban Renewal, at a time when we’re all starting to think more about what we’re consuming, felt so right. The draw of vintage was exciting, and I love that my role covers both menswear and womenswear, and has such a broad reach in terms of sourcing and product. Once I started, it felt like the perfect fit and I’ve never looked back.
The selection process for One-Of-A-Kind pieces starts with… the support of my suppliers, in the UK, Europe and North America. They will help to look out for certain branded pieces and save them for us, but it’s always in the back of my mind when looking through vintage. OOAK pieces can just jump out at you, they’re usually stand-out, statement finds that won’t stay hidden for long. We plan stories and I can know what I’m looking for, but sometimes it’s just about collecting the pieces we love and then creating a story once they’re back at the office
Do you hand select every OOAK item UO sells?
Not just me, but the buying team as a whole select every piece we offer in the OOAK collections. We’re a team of 4 and a lot of work goes into creating the OOAK stories. Depending on how we pull the product together, it can be a more limited collection of 10-15 pieces, or bigger stories of 50 pieces at a time. That’s the beauty of vintage one-offs, you never know how many styles you will find and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
After you have selected OOAK pieces – what happens next?
Once the pieces are selected, they’re quality checked and washed by our supplier before being sent to UO HQ. We group the garments into stories and complete final quality checks, decide on pricing and prepare for them to go live online or in-store. Every garment is shot by our photography studio, before being ticketed, packed and sent to the warehouse ready for shipping. It’s a real labour of love for the team, as every piece goes through a long, and very hands-on process.
Do you have a customer in mind when you are considering vintage pieces for UO?
Working for a brand like UO, it does allow me to think about a wide range of customers and I love that – no OOAK story is the same. Someone who loves a branded sports jacket is not always the same person looking for a vintage sequin dress. I know I’m buying pieces for those with an eye for something special, something unique and that they’re looking for one-off styles that they will keep in their wardrobes for a long time.
Is it true every trend comes back around?
It can seem that way. I love the fact that when vintage styles do make a comeback, it’s about interpreting them in a new way, that’s right for now. I’m sure there are some trends that we’d all hope we won’t see again though…we all have guilty style secrets!
My best ever vintage find was… when I came back from a buying trip with a one-off, beautiful vintage dress. It turns out that one of our designers had the very same vintage dress and had parted company with it 10 years ago in France. It’s very unlikely that there would be another dress in the same size out there, so we’re convinced it’s THE dress which has made its way home to her. She couldn’t believe it, and I’ve seen photo evidence of her wearing it all those years ago!
The vintage brands I personally love… are something classic like a Burberry Mac or an old 80s/90s adidas piece would be my go-to. Although my favourite type of vintage is a printed vintage dress or jumpsuit, so it’s not always about the brand for me. I love all the outerwear brands that we have coming through for AW19 including Patagonia, Northface, Columbia and Berghaus – brands who make clothes to last!
My vintage fashion icons are… stylish Japanese men – their attention to detail and dedication to finding the right vintage piece is second to none, and a real source of inspiration. Although it’s hard to talk vintage style icons and not mention Kate Moss, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain.
Working for a brand like UO, it does allow me to think about a wide range of customers and I love that – no OOAK story is the same. Someone who loves a branded sports jacket is not always the same person looking for a vintage sequin dress. I know I’m buying pieces for those with an eye for something special, something unique and that they’re looking for one-off styles that they will keep in their wardrobes for a long time.
Is it true every trend comes back around?
It can seem that way. I love the fact that when vintage styles do make a comeback, it’s about interpreting them in a new way, that’s right for now. I’m sure there are some trends that we’d all hope we won’t see again though…we all have guilty style secrets!
My best ever vintage find was… when I came back from a buying trip with a one-off, beautiful vintage dress. It turns out that one of our designers had the very same vintage dress and had parted company with it 10 years ago in France. It’s very unlikely that there would be another dress in the same size out there, so we’re convinced it’s THE dress which has made its way home to her. She couldn’t believe it, and I’ve seen photo evidence of her wearing it all those years ago!
The vintage brands I personally love… are something classic like a Burberry Mac or an old 80s/90s adidas piece would be my go-to. Although my favourite type of vintage is a printed vintage dress or jumpsuit, so it’s not always about the brand for me. I love all the outerwear brands that we have coming through for AW19 including Patagonia, Northface, Columbia and Berghaus – brands who make clothes to last!
My vintage fashion icons are… stylish Japanese men – their attention to detail and dedication to finding the right vintage piece is second to none, and a real source of inspiration. Although it’s hard to talk vintage style icons and not mention Kate Moss, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain.