Lovely’s Vintage Emporium: A treasure chest of vintage loveliness!

Lovely’s Vintage Emporium (LVE) launched online in March 2011 as a vintage fashion boutique, but its root goes all the way back to the 1980s when founder Lynnette Peck Bateman started buying vintage clothes as a teenager.

She loved to look “different” and she also says it was “cheaper than buying new clothes”. Lynnette has experience of working with vintage clothing as she worked in vintage store Steinberg & Tolkien, which was located on King’s Road in Chelsea: “I learnt all about vintage brands, value, quality of fabrics and how to spot which decade a item came from whilst working there.” Lynnette went on to tell how regular customers there included designer Jean Paul Gaultier, Paula Yates, Bond Girl Barbara Bach and John Galliano.

In 2010 Lynnette realised how much vintage clothes and accessories she had collected over the years that she should do something with them, and Lovely’s Vintage Emporium was born. Some of the most memorable pieces that Lynnette has collected for Lovely’s include a 1970s padded brown Chanel handbag and a couture 1960s cream Courreges dress, as well as lots of non-designer treasures.

On Lovely’s Vintage Emporium at the moment Lynnette particularly loves the 1950s Dan Millstein bright red wool coat the 1960s Trifari Modernist Large Necklace and the 1980s Black & White Batwing Dress.

Many of LVE’s customers always come back for more as they fall in love with what they see – the customers include Holly Willoughby, Dawn Porter and Singer Nicki Minaj. Lynnette says that new items are constantly being added to the site as she “can’t stop shopping”. Approximately 20-40 new items arrive on the site every week, so head straight to the “New in” section to avoid disappointment. 

Lovely’s Vintage Emporium is based between the Isle of Wight and London, but as it’s online Lynnette says she was uploading new items when she was in Australia last year. We asked whether a bricks and mortar store was on the cards. She replied: “it would be lovely, either in Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight or on Kings Road the old Steinberg & Tolkien used to be, and that would be a good legacy for my old boss Mark Steinberg, who is no longer with us.”

The perfect customer in the eyes of LVE is someone that will love, cherish and not alter the pieces they purchase. Their job and age make no difference to Lynnette, as they just have to have a passion for vintage and they will be welcomed in to the LVE family.

Kelsey Butler
Photos: Courtesy of Lovely’s Vintage Emporium