All in the Shag

It's a vintage lovers paradise. Poodle skirts, sequined dresses and bellbottoms line the walls as if the last four decades never even passed. And, as Assia Benmedjdoub discovered, Shag boutique is far from being done and dusted.

There was a time when walking through beaded curtains contained very little novelty. When tambourines, fake bear rugs, afro combs and bubble heads weren't instantly relegated to the back corners of Aunty Merrill's attic.
These days, most people are more likely to be amused by a doorway they can actually put their fingers through. Is it a passageway into makeshift student accommodation, Tree and Bush Huggers Association or something entirely more salacious?
Those who frequent the upper side of Sydney's Oxford Street could be guilty of considering it as a gateway into the past. At least in the case of Shag - a vintage boutique that calls the famed shopping strip home.
If shoppers manage to brave the legion of cool, Bob Dylan look-alikes parked out front (not to mention the tangle of jewels hanging in the doorway) they are instantly transported into a treasure trove of accessories, coats, dresses and shoes that date back to the 1940s. Even the allusive Missoni's, Chanel's and Dior's of the 1960s have been known to make a dramatic, albeit fleeting, appearance.
And it's not just what's hanging on the racks that catches a shopper's eye. Drawing inspiration from 1960s London, Shag is cloaked in dim lighting and lined with thick, velvet drapes, padded wicker chairs and Victorian mirrors. Even to the untrained eye, it's a radical departure from the light and airy boutiques that sit comfortably nestled beside it.
Shag founder Jeremy Valentine says his emphasis on store design comes only second to quality. All four Shag outlets in Australia are equipped with similar attention to detail - even if the vintage fittings and designs vary from shop to shop.
"The people who did the fit-out for our Sydney store were against the concept. They said the city was all about airiness and spaciousness but we wanted something dark, mysterious and abundant. I guess we went against the Sydney rule."
After a decade in the business, breaking rules is now all in a day's work for this retailer. Since launching his first Shag store in Melbourne in 1996, Valentine has come to redefine the concept of a vintage boutique. Not only is 30 per cent of his stock now sourced new from Hong Kong, but the merchandise is also stocked in reverse - in other words, winter items are sold in summer and vice versa.
An unusual move unless you consider that Shag's core consumer is largely a young, fashion forward one, Valentine says.
"This way, we're six months ahead of what's going on here," he explains. "These days everybody is buying their fashion from China so you really have to stamp your own point of difference. And it actually works - people actually buy coats and heavy jackets when it's 42 degrees outside."
When visiting Hong Kong - often every six weeks - Valentine doesn't just keep an eye out forcutting-edge designs but ensures he orders a limited number of each. That way, loyal Shag customers won't run the risk of turning up to the same party in the same dress, so to speak. It's also the reason why Valentine isn't planning to open up any stores in the near future - to maintain Shag's reputation as a selective and unique retail experience.
"It's also to keep our variety of stock turning over quick enough," he adds. "I don't know how other stores work the way they do - we have to have new things in store every six weeks and vintage gear on a daily basis."
Understandably, with Victoria in hopping distance from Sydney, most of this is sourced from Melbourne with Japan and America making the odd contribution. When roaming the city of a thousand climates, Valentine says he chooses to visit old shop lots and factories for unique finds or source directly and individually from the public. Either way, there's never a shortage of buried treasure, whether it ends up retailing at $20 for a bracelet or $800 for a one-off vintage piece.
"We just came across 10 Chanel suits and three or four dresses. It isn't rare for us to find these pieces, it really just depends on what's out there at the time. We've had 1970s Missoni and 1940s shoes before."
The penchant for all things old-fashioned even runs down to the company's approach to customer service. Employing around 15 staff members across four stores, Shag strays away from offering modern VIP cards and promotions. Instead, receipts are still hand-written and loyal customers are rewarded with an odd discount here and there.
"All the other stuff is more of a major chain thing," Valentine reasons. "When we started we had a passion for op-shops and collecting and we want to keep that atmosphere. It's an integral part to what we do."