Today we had the pleasure of speaking with Barbara, our talented and enthusiastic window dresser at Emmaus Lambeth.
What did you do prior to Emmaus?
I have a lengthy background in visual merchandising and fashion. I studied retail at The College for Distributive Trades and have worked alongside various artists and other fashion experts across the years. I have contributed to pieces of art which have been featured in exhibitions in Paris, Munich, Moscow etc. I’m proud of my work and the things I have achieved. Outside of Emmaus I still work as a visual merchandiser.
Examples of Barbara’s work:
What are you responsibilities at Emmaus?
My key responsibilities include the general organisation of Shop 1 (our clothing shop). I spend a lot of time in the Shop 1 basement organising clothes, pricing them, and rotating stock. I also maintain the standard of Shop 1 and ensure that it is tidy, visually pleasing and fully stocked. I also keep an eye on our Boutique shop to ensure the standards over there are also being met.
As well as doing this I also come up with themes for the window displays and source the items needed to create my vision, and then actually put the display together.
I also put together various fashion looks with the clothing that is donated to us. To do this I would find one item, a dress for example, that has a certain aesthetic and from there I conceptualize a whole new look around it and go through the donated clothing for other items that may match the dress. Once the looks have been completed, I put them out on display and on social media.
What inspires you to create your looks and window displays?
My inspirations mainly come from popular culture such as music, TV and films. I am also especially inspired by youth subcultures and movements (punk, glam rock etc.) and I try to reflect their aesthetics in my work. I think pop culture and youth subcultures both have a very strong link to fashion. I like to take an original idea and add my own creative twist onto it, I link things but sometimes it’s good to clash things as well, think punk rock meets Gatsby.
Being at Emmaus is good because whatever item of clothing or look I can think of, I know I will find it here. If I find one good item that alone could inspire a whole window display based on its colour or pattern. I love it when I see something and get a creative spark, from there it’s just finding other items to put together so I can turn my vision into a reality. Sometimes putting a look or window display together can be challenging but in an enjoyable way. At Emmaus I have to work with what I can find, which usually isn’t an issue as we receive so many interesting items, but I do have to work harder to create my vision.
Is it better to buy clothes second hand?
Yes. I love preloved clothes because not only are they more ethical and less wasteful, but there’s personality and charm to the clothes you can find in charity shops. I am happy that there has been a huge increase in popularity for buying second hand, especially amongst young people, as it proves not only are the clothes desirable but that their fashionable potential is being recognised.
What do you like best about working at Emmaus?
I enjoy the diverse group of people you get to work with. It’s very rare with charities that you get to work alongside the people you’re helping, it is motivational and keeps things optimistic. I also love the variety of work available; you can do one thing one day and something completely different another, no one day is the same. If things start to get repetitive, I set myself a new project and goal to work towards. You would expect being downstairs sorting out clothes to be boring after a while but no, the diverse tasks and fun people always keep things enjoyable. Your job is as exciting as you make it.
To see more examples of Barbara’s work check out her Instagram here.