Vintage Fashion

William Banks Blaney was christened the "Vintage King" by Vogue.com only 9 months after he had held his first sale of vintage clothing in December of 2009. The 200 pieces he had carefully sourced, selected and edited during his many travels as an interior decorator sold out in under 4 hours. Barely a year and about ten international sales later, William is on top of the game and a full-fledged vintage connoisseur, respected and sought after by fashion stylists, celebrity clients and vintage lovers.
His next sale will be held on November 4th in London. The collection of about 400 pieces will include fine vintage and couture from Balmain, Balenciaga, Courreges, Dior, Jean Desses, Lanvin, Ossie Clark, Patou, Stavropoulos, Tam and many others, all "in superb condition, stylish and wearable".

So who is this man and what is his secret? After a few personal e-mails and reading his story in Tatler, I discovered an exquisite man, with excellent taste and an extraordinary history.

Natalie Joos: How and why did you start collecting and selling vintage clothing?

William Banks Blaney: After many years working in interior design [and still doing various very high-end projects] as a designer you get to know your clients, how they live and what they like and I would often see a piece, whether vintage or contemporary, and know precisely who would love it. After many years of clients telling me I should do this as a separate business, I took the plunge, founded WilliamVintage and started to collect pieces and hold a sale every few months.

NJ: How do you select and edit the pieces you buy?

WBB: I buy pieces that are in wonderful condition, that are relevant to a modern womans wardrobe and that can be worn today without looking like 'dress up' and which can be worn with contemporary collections and accessories. I believe that vintage should be incorporated into a modern wardrobe. To that end, I buy on average 1 in every 500 pieces that I see. Generally speaking, the pieces focus on a strong silhouette, superb fabrics and a timeless elegance.

NJ: What do you enjoy most about your new found passion?

WBB: I think one of my greatest buzzes comes from seeing someone look good and feel good, walking taller, happier, more confident and freer in themselves. I spent so many years being fat and ridiculed (William was overweight as a child) until I lost weight and was approached by model agencies. Then I had so many years with someone that cowed me and made me feel really terrible about myself (William had a highly publicized relationship with an MP who left his wife and children for him)..... I suppose I know what it feels like to be self-conscious or lacking in confidence and helping people feel better about themselves or express themselves makes me really happy, as well as feed my love for vintage.

NJ: Who are some of your fashion icons?

WBB: I have a great many style icons, from Charlotte Rampling and Marisa Berenson in the 70s to Helen Mirren and Dita von Teese today - women who know who they are, and use clothing to express their personality, mood and life.

NJ: What is your definition of style?

WBB: Someone once said that true elegance is when you look as though you spent hours selecting your clothes and then forgotten about them the second you put them on. That's very much how I think about it.

For more about William Banks Blaney please visit any of these links:
www.williambanksblaney.com Interior Design by William Banks-Blaney

www.williamvintage.com Vintage Couture by William Banks-Blaney

www.williamsays.com The Lifestyle Blog by William Banks-Blaney

For more about the WilliamVintage sale, please find the invitation below, as well as a small edit of the pieces on sale.