Compiled by Jade McSorley
Friday
First stop is under the canopy at Portobello Market, above (Portobello Road, London W10 5TA, 020 7727 7684), to catch up with all the lovely stallholders I know who also take part in my East London Vintage Fair on the second Sunday of every month (Lower Clapton, East London).
Friday is the best day, as this is when when stylists and design teams go down. I spotted John Galliano last week.
instagram @london.vintage
When I had my own vintage stall here, 10 years ago, my customers included Kate Moss and Róisín Murphy.
I always have a peek at Sarah Horillo’s stall, above, who sells here and the East London Vintage Fair, too, and has the most beautiful selection of dresses.
I always grab myself a 1970's Indian frock for my collection. And if I’m after menswear, I’ll check out Little Venice Vintage, below, who have a brilliant selection.
instagram @littlevenicevintage
I then head back to east London to put flyers in all the cafes and shops, and drop into Brahms & Liszt, below (10 Chatsworth Road, London E5 0LP, 07946 461616) for a little something for the weekend. It's a boutique off-licence selling the biggest selection of booze - old favourites like East London Liquor Premium Gin for £39 and things you've never heard of, such as Miclo Violet Liqueur at £31, and bottles of Mezcal reaching £172.
For dinner I love Honeymoon, a beautiful new restaurant run by Ruth McCabe and James Smart.
It follows the same concept as their café, Save The Date, which rescues leftover food from Michelin star restaurants before it hits the landfill (460 Hackney Road, London E2 9EG).
The ingredients are organic, and the menu constantly changes depending on what the restaurants send over (free of charge).
Expect rustic ‘family. feel’ dishes of rosemary roast chicken, raw or pasteurised homemade kefir (fermented milk drink), and grilled cinnamon pineapple.
The restaurant is run on a ‘pay- what-you- think-it-is-worth' basis, except on Sundays, when you can have a three-course roast for £12.
Saturday
This is my day for sourcing vintage for the fair. The first stop is 8am at Princess May Car Booty, above, which is on every Sunday (weather-permitting), Princess May School, Stoke Newington, London N16 8DF).
Then I’ll wend my way round any other boot sales nearby, returning home to put my feet up before heading out to listen to DJs at The Gun pub (235 Well St, London E9 6RG, 020 8985 6296). There's no dance floor but I usually manage to get a wiggle in!
instagram @thepantherswhiskers
They also do a banging brunch of crispy poached egg, avo and sweet potato hash (the menu was created by catering company, Panther’s Whiskers, above.
There are lots of amazing new businesses opening around this area, and, if I'm down early enough, I‘ll pop into She's Lost Control, above (42 Valentine Road, London E9 7AD). Run by Jill Urwin and Cheryl Eltringham, this new shop sells potions, kimonos, jewellery and crystals.
Sunday
Once a month, I organise the East London Vintage Fair at The Round Chapel in Hackney (1D Glenarm Road, Hackney E5 0PU).
I’ve got 40 traders selling smashing vintage with special guests joining the regular team.
Last month we had Jade McSorley, with me, above, from the Model&More blog, with kimonos from her last modelling stint in Japan. This month we have Sara Waiste, owner of Waiste Vintage, fresh from her LA trip.
There is street food outside, including homemade pork and herb sheftalia from the Cyprus Kitchen, which keeps me going, as it is a long day, as well as florist Nicholas Vilsmark and tarot readings from Wolfsister .
***************************************************************************
Dominique Miller is a fashion designer, stylist and a jeweller, with a focus on vintage. Last year, she decided to start her own award-winning fair showcasing traders from Hackney and the rest of the world in the stunning Round Chapel in Lower Clapton.
She also runs a series of pop-ups, most recently at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, East London, and the vintage shop she set up in a working laundrette on Broadway market. It doesn't have a name, so just look for her sitting in a 70’s Indian frock on top of an old-school washing machine.
East London Vintage Fair, every second Sunday of the month, 12pm - 6pm, but check website first
Follow @eastlondonvintagefair
