Get your Rock Star on with original and revamped vintage by Royal Curiosity
A&F: Tell us about the name of your company?
Royal Curiosity:We are Royal Curiosity. The name came from a fascination I had with old curiosity shops, which were shops filled with oddities and random paraphernalia. The "royal" signifies the beauty in finding things from all over and putting them together to make them special.
A&F: What's in your collection?
Royal Curiosity: We carry vintage and modern clothing for girls and guys that runs the gamut from 20's silk lingerie to late 70's/early 80's concert tour shirts and lots of stuff in between, including lots of denim, leather, blouses and dresses. Everything we choose to sell is hand picked or created by us. Maria crafts a line of necklaces and earrings that are created entirely out of antique jewelry, chains, watch parts, even vintage lace. I (Ryan) hand stud one of a kind vintage jackets, blouses, shoes, bags,and hats and also occasionally make jewelry. We also sell vintage boots, bags, and accessories. Our items tend to have a rock and roll feel to them, since we are both pretty much obsessed with music and rock star style.
A&F: How did you and Maria get together?
Royal Curiosity:We formed Royal Curiosity after getting to know each other while working together in a thrift store in the city. We bonded over a similar style and appreciation for unique clothing and jewelry. I have worked with vintage clothing and jewelry for the past 15 years. I am also an art director, stylist, and writer/producer. Maria is a musician who plays and records with several bands in NYC and beyond.
A&F: What inspires your creativity?
Royal Curiosity: My biggest inspiration are my friends. I think I take parts of all of their styles and adapt them to suit me. People on the street also constantly inspire me. Lately I've been heavily influenced by the styles of famous musicians... Rock stars and their girlfriends (or boyfriends) fans, and groupies. I also love amazing patterns and textures. A mix of old and new. High end and low end. That aesthetic is definitely evident in the clothes we chose to sell.
A&F: What's in the future for Royal Curiosity ?
Royal Curiosity: I hope to continue selling, creating, and growing as a company. For now we enjoy the freedom of selling at a place like Artist and Fleas, but hopefully one day we'll have a boutique of our own. Some kind of crazy exotic gypsy den filled with music, clothes, jewelry, and maybe a little dog.
A&F: Anything else you want people to know about you?
Royal Curiosity:We really enjoy selling at A&F because its a great place to meet new people and show everyone what we love to do. If you haven't checked out the market yet, come seek us out and say hi!
Vintage is absolutely 'in' and will never be out of style. Just wish I had collected much more vintage jewelry years ago before the Internet came into play, because back in those days vintage jewelry was a cheap thrill - lol. Now it's far more expensive, and more widely collected.
Posted by: Tammara | January 22, 2010 at 01:35 PM