The editors talk in this Sewing With Threads video podcast with Doris Raymond, whose vast collection of vintage, antique, and designer clothing has been a source of fashion inspiration for a coterie of designers, celebrities, and fashion insiders for years.

Collector known around the globe

Since the opening of her Los Angeles vintage boutique, The Way We Wore, in 2004, Doris has become THE arbiter of fashion locally and globally for an international clientele. The incredible success of The Way We Wore in LA, and her earlier store of the same name in San Francisco, represents her wide and far-reaching influence in the world of contemporary fashion. She has worked with the majority of designers from high fashion to mass-market labels, and details culled from her collection have shown up on runways around the world.

 

Note: You can find inspiration and how-tos for incorporating vintage garment details into your own designs and sewing, on the back covers and the How Did They Sew That? articles in Threads.

Feeding a fashion passion

Doris, who once made her living selling encyclopedias door-to-door, is now known as the “fairy godmother of fashion inspiration.” She talks in the podcast about how her passion for fashion and vintage garments began and grew.

She also shares: what vintage clothing is popular and in demand today; one fashion trend we can expect to see in the near future; her favorite auctions to attend; and the vintage auction acquisition she dreams of. Doris even talks about her efforts at one auction to acquire much-sought-after pieces created by 20th-century French couturier Paul Poiret.

 

The vintage fashion expert admits that finding quality vintage garments has become more challenging. She says she focuses on what speaks to her. “Quality survives and transcends time. So even if it is more expensive, it is a smart way to spend money,” she says.

Celebrity Doris Raymond

Her years of hard work and experience in the field of fashion and fashion history culminated in the two-season production of the Smithsonian Channel documentary series L.A.Frockstars. More recently, Doris launched a wildly successful YouTube channel, now watched by some 43,000 followers. The Way We Wore channel touches on wide-ranging subjects relating to fashion. She says she is planning an episode that takes a look at good-quality vintage finds most people may overlook, and another on sharing more garments and accessories from her personal collection, including Fortuny creations.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by our friends at Baby Lock, who are excited to announce the launch of their new cover stitch machine—the Euphoria. It’s the perfect complement to your Baby Lock four-thread serger or sewing machine. The Euphoria creates professional finishes for all of your garments and home décor projects. It features ExtraodinAir Threading, which threads the chain looper with just the touch of a button. Visit BabyLock.com to learn more about the Euphoria and find a participating retailer.

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Photos in this post are courtesy of The Way We Wore.