Bjournal caught up with Audrey a fashionista with a keen eye for everything vintage and owner of vintage boutique shop All About Aud.
Tell us about yourself? Well I started travelling in my early twenties, I lived in Ibiza for years and then I went to France, Spain – places like that. I travelled for about twenty years working abroad and then I ended up down in Brighton and then that’s when I got the shop.
What is ‘All About Aud’? It’s a vintage reworked boutique but mainly concentrated on boho clothing.
How did you come up with this idea? Well it was actually me and my friend Katie who was my business partner. The shop used to be called ‘Kate and Aud’ but we split up last year and then I kept the business going but I changed the name. We’re still friends and we still keep in touch but we both wanted different things.
How did you get in to fashion? I’ve always been in to my fashion really. When I lived in Ibiza I used to always buy vintage clothing and I liked to dress up my friends and do their hair and make-up and then I started selling and making my own jewellery. It’s something that I’ve always been passionate about, I’ve just always loved vintage. Even in charity shops I can just go in and spot a vintage piece, I like anything old and used basically.
How do you source your clothes at ‘All About Aud’? Well through my travelling I met people while I was abroad and now I’ve got people in different parts of the world who I just phone up and say “I need 100 of these types of dresses” or I send off prints to India and they get them copied for me. But I’m quite lucky now I’ve got a good contact and I don’t need to go abroad all the time but when I’m on holiday if I see anything I like I’ll just purchase it. I have got a supplier in the UK as well but most of the stock comes from abroad really. I love going abroad to find things though, it’s exciting.
What’s in store for both you and ‘All About Aud’ for the future? Well, who knows? I could see myself going abroad again. I mean I’ve lived abroad before and I’ve always had dreams of being out there and doing this. When I was out there I was just doing jewellery and hair braiding and I wasn’t doing the clothing but I think if I went to Ibiza now or the South of France I think it could really work. I’d also like to get a website up and running and I’d also like a bigger shop. So who knows what will happen in the future.
How long have you been living in Brighton? I’ve been living in Brighton for about nine or ten years, so quite a long time now. I’d been travelling for many years so I thought where can I go now and my sister suggested going to Cornwall or Brighton. I came to Brighton because I thought a lot of like-minded people are down here and instantly I just completely fell in love with it. I think a lot of people do that though and end up down here because it’s the best place in England.
So what is it that you like about Brighton then? I love the Laines, the North Laines are just amazing I love the vibe. I love the beach but my favourite thing is to get on my bike and cycle all the way to Rottingdean. It takes about half an hour from Brighton station and it is the most magical thing ever, it’s like medicine for the soul. I do it now twice a week on my bike because it’s so beautiful.
And finally, what makes you happy in life? What makes me happy is people being kind to one another and compassionate and just people giving and that’s it really. Oh and being surrounded by beautiful things as well that makes me happy.
We can see why being surrounded by beautiful things makes Audrey happy, her shop is just stunning. If you are looking for some beautiful vintage bohemian garms then do take a visit to ‘All About Aud’ located on 27 Trafalgar Street. We promise you won’t leave disappointed.
Photographs: Kamilah McInnis
Kamilah McInnis
