Dawn O'Porter celebrates vintage fashion in This Old Thing

4 July 2013

Dawn O’Porter loves vintage clothing. She thinks it’s crazy to buy boring, mass-produced clothes when there’s thousands of quality pieces in hundreds of shops that are totally unique, beautifully made, look fantastic and don’t cost the earth.

This Old Thing will celebrate vintage fashion, show how to repair and revive clothing to bring it up to date, and hope to cure the country’s addiction to fast fashion – one wardrobe at a time.   Dawn sets out to prove that classic clothes from the past can be the way forward.

Each week Dawn will take on a vintage virgin and introduce them to the alternative world of fashion. Acting as stylist she will help them make the most of hand-me-downs and thrifty finds to make a real style statement.  

Joining Dawn will be a team of seamstresses and tailors asking people to bring in their second-hand clothes and hand-me-down accessories to be valued, repaired and revived with a few quick snips and stiches.  

The UK’s foremost vintage fashion expert, William Banks-Blaney,  will be hunting for stunning, unique and high-end vintage pieces both at home and overseas from places as diverse as  Miami, London and Paris.  

Additionally Dawn will explore the history of fashion and have the privilege of handling a selection of the most iconic fashion pieces in recent history including the first Coco Chanel little black dress.  

The 6 x 60 series has been commissioned by Head of Features Gill Wilson for Channel 4. The production company is RDF Television West and it will be executive produced by Andrew Anderson.

Gill Wilson said: “The series will celebrate quality fashion and offer viewers great tips on how they can update and upcycle vintage gems. From sewing and tailoring tips to insider knowledge on where to find designer pieces the show will challenge attitudes to second-hand clothes”.

ENDS