I first met Emily through a very stylish friend, Jo. It was Jo’s idea to put me in touch with Emily's business, Trove. What an amazing idea! A boutique that offers designer and vintage garments to be hired out at a fraction of the price. As I hunted through the racks, I got more distracted by the last piece I saw. Emily put her foot down and recommended that I had to wear THE Manning Cartel dress. I was struck by it and have never worn high end Australian designers. So there I was, intrigued by Emily’s treasure room full of designer labels. I had to know more about it began the concept behind it all.
With over 100 dresses, as well as other designer and vintage separates she would estimate there is at least $40,000 worth of clothing. Her collection is looking to increase as she is continually adding to the collection. Emily has been collecting things from insects at the age of four to stickers throughout my early teens. As soon she I got a job during her middle teens she spent every single cent on going to the Camberwell markets every Sunday. She would literally get as much as she could with a $20 note. Like every girl, her wardrobe slowly overflowed, but it gave her a chance to play (without breaking the bank) with so many different textures, colours, shapes and styles, says Emily.
"Coming up with a name was super hard," she says. She knew she wanted something short and personal and the taste of her eye just prefers the look of a shorter name on a shop front. She wanted something that was quirky but relevant. "A trove is somewhere where a collection of ‘things’ are stored and these things are generally, in most definitions of trove, valuable things. As I had collected the items and they were valuable in nature it seemed fit, and it was short in appearance."
Me in Manning Cartell (First time ever = heaven)
This is so true, individuals like to be seen in new and exciting outfits, event after event, they don’t want to be outfit repeaters and they quite bluntly get bored easily by their same old wardrobe. At Trove, you can hire five different dresses for five different events for the same price it would cost them to buy one of the dresses. It's also an amazing opportunity for those people who don’t often step out of their style comfort zone to do that without financially investing in it. "If you’re someone that always wears black, it’s understandable you may not want to spend over $500 on a red printed dress even if you like the idea of spending one night in it," Says Emily. To hire an item it means there is no financial commitment and you can still have a little fun trying new styles.
Listed are some of Emily’s favourite places to go in Melbourne. If you are ever in here and want somewhere fun to go, head to either some of Emily's hot spots:
Kodiak club - Fitzroy | Madame Brussels - City | Naked for Satan - Fitzroy
See the latest fashion rentals at: https://www.facebook.com/troveboutique