The Darling Sisters’ collection is living glamour. History brought to life. Wearable heritage.
The Darling Sisters dress women and others who love beautiful femme fashion with a vintage flavour. Their boutique, in Gold Creek Square, ACT, is a gallery housing a curated collection of exquisite vintage-style fashion that is be worn, loved and interpreted by modern women. It is historic style experiencing a new lease of life, combining modern fabrics, techniques and lifestyles to reinvent the classics of the past.
‘Twins on the inside’—separated at birth but now re-united and having a ball—Darla and Blossom Darling are proprietresses of Darling Central. To these Canberrans, vintage glamour is accessible, ethical and wearable. They stock a wide range of sizes and shapes because people are diverse, and their diversity should be celebrated.
Q. Thinking back on 2013, what goals have you achieved that you are most proud of?
Our proudest achievement was connecting with seriously talented, independent designers in the United States and Europe, who supply us with high-quality fashion influenced by styles from the 20s to the early 50s. These pieces are timeless. We also opened our new, high-end boutique in Gold Creek, and adopted an earlier vintage aesthetic, suitable for Canberra’s elegant, style-conscious, hard-working women to wear at work and for leisure.
Q. What is on the agenda for The Darling Sisters in 2014?
We’re tremendously excited about participating in FASHFEST. We’re introducing two new brands to Canberra at FASHFEST, in the form of some great Deco and post-War influenced leisurewear that may come as a surprise to some. They’re elegant, historically accurate yet not stereotyped, and are entirely suited to modern Canberra lifestyles. We’ll also continue our relationship with the Hustle&Scout Twilight Market. Also stand by for divine quality 30s and 40s style winter wear—perfect for Canberra’s cold climate.
Q. What does it mean to you to be participating as a designer in FASHFEST 2014?
It means ‘participation’. FASHFEST will be a thrilling collaboration of Canberra creative minds and talents. It also means we’re getting out there and getting involved in Canberra’s diverse fashion community. As specialists in fashion history, it would be easy to stay in our own little world of cardigans, beaded gowns and stockings, but our audience is modern women with modern lifestyles.
A few just for fun:
Q. We would love to travel to 1925 because modernism was sweeping the fashion world and women were experiencing thrilling new freedoms. It would be a fun, flying visit though since we prefer our current freedoms. We’d pop in for cocktails and take a few souvenirs back home (scarves, shoes, gloves and the like).
Q. Our heaven on earth is a summer afternoon in a beautiful garden—let’s say roughly 1927. Tea on the lawn, hats, dogs, tiny strawberries, laughter and then dressing up for dinner with all the chaps in their DJs.
Q. If we could have one thing in the whole world it would be a time machine, because we long to get access to some of the divine fabrics and prints of the past. We’re perpetually on the hunt for lovely quality fabrics—timeless styles that can be treasured long-term and then lovingly passed on. We call it ‘slow fashion’.
Q. Our favourite designer is a darling in the US called Kim, whose designs we’re showing at FASHFEST, because she is absolutely dedicated to producing quality designs and contributes to her local community. You have to love and support a woman who believes in slow fashion and ethical fashion.
Q. The greatest risk we ever took was when we opened our boutique. No lie … it has been hard work. We have grown and learned so much. We’ve cried a lot, laughed a lot and we developed our own style and contacts. We’ve seen vintage fashion develop and change, several times. It’s not been easy but we’re proud of our achievements.
This will be The Darling Sisters first appearance at FASHFEST! Click here to grab your tickets before they sell out!
Fashfest 29 April to 3 May
Canberra Airport
Tickets: www.fashfest.com.au
