Kym Chamber's is the owner of Chambers Vintage, an expertly curated collection of 20th century vintage garments. Kym was gracious enough to host a NAMAI pop-up in her Saugerties, NY store so of course we took the opportunity to ask her some questions about her life and relationship to vintage clothing!
How did you first get interested in vintage clothing?
I started shopping vintage and second hand in high school, but my first experience wearing vintage was in my childhood home. My parents immigrated from Jamaica in the late 1970s, my favorite design era. With them came the infamous cardboard and steel barrels that they filled with their belongings from back home before departing to start a new life. These barrels were filled with clothes, shoes, scarves and the like. I would jump inside and pull out what I now know to be true vintage.
My education in fashion, presentation and mending began at a young age sitting beside my mother as she sewed clothing and curtains from scratch. She taught me those skills early on and I designed my very first garment, a silk brocade wrap skirt, in my early teens. I started wearing my parents' vintage clothing to school in the 90s: Dad’s polyester shirts with jeans, his tuxedo pants with a t-shirt. Mom’s wool skirts with a sweater. I started shopping and collecting vintage from thrift shops in high school as a way to stay fashionable but not break the bank.
Why is sustainability important to you in fashion?
Sustainability is the future of fashion. It’s really our only choice and brands are starting to realize that their customers know and value this in their shopping choices. People are choosing the shop in a more conscious way by wearing vintage thus consuming resources already in the loop, which keeps garments in use longer. By extending the lifecycle of a garment we immediately lower our ecological footprint.
What inspired you to start Chambers Vintage and open a store?
The shortest answer is my son. I wanted him to see me doing something I truly loved, while making the planet a better place for him and his generation. He doesn’t fully know it now, but he is having a very early education in sustainability, entrepreneurship, and using one’s talents to thrive. Also, I’ve always wanted to have my own store, to curate a space and invite folks in to shop, chat, do a workshop, throw a party, so it’s really special to finally be at this stage.
What do you look for when sourcing pieces?
Quality materials and good construction paired with unique design elements. I don’t just look for labels. If I find a brand name designer, great, but there are a lot of under the radar labels that make quality pieces from the 60s to the 90s that I keep going back to. If it is a great piece that feels both vintage and contemporary at the same time, that is the ultimate find. I don’t want the collection to ever feel too dated, or era specific. Timelessness is a really important message in my collections.
What’s your favorite piece in the shop right now?
I have a mini dress from the 1960s that is handmade from the most incredible silver and dayglo brocade. There is a the faint suggestion of a dayglo plaid pattern with silver cross-hatched detailed over top. It’s incredible.
Who or what influences your personal style the most?
My emotions haha. How I am feeling on that particular day will inform how I dress and how I style the pieces I wear. Some days I want to be loud with color, other days not so much. I also love menswear so there definitely a strong gravitation towards vintage cotton Oxford shirts from Ralph Lauren and blazers.
How would you style some pieces with Namai?
Anyone who has been following my account for a while knows I love patterns that compete with each other. It’s probably my gemini tendencies! So the Namai jackets are really a wonderful way to push that forward. I would choose a jacket that compliments the colors or patterns of a dress, or a pair it with vintage jeans with vintage T. They also look great layered over a vintage denim jacket in colder weather.
Give us some tips on searching for a good vintage piece?
Do your research. Find out a little more about fabrics. This will help you narrow down what to actually look at on the rack. There will be so much fast fashion stretch jersey, that with a trained eye and hand you can just by-pass.
What are some simple ways people can make their wardrobe more sustainable?
Attending a clothing swap will help declutter your closet and help other folks in your community recycle their own clothes. Shop vintage and second hand as much as possible, and support brands that use reclaimed materials, organic fibers and dead-stock fabrics!
