For Gayle Foster, fashion has always been about more than simply following the latest trends.
From playing dress-up in her grandmother’s clothes and jewellery as a child, to becoming a New Romantic in the 1980s and searching charity shops and markets for individual pieces, Gayle has always loved the creativity, character and history that comes with vintage.
Today, that passion is at the heart of Vintage in the Tower, an independent shop tucked away in a small lane beside the historic Pele Tower in the centre of Corbridge.
The business is now celebrating its 14th year, having originally started as a pop-up with two other vintage dealers. Gayle has been running the shop on her own for the past four years.
While the shop is filled with beautiful and unusual items from accessories and handbags to cutlery, crystal glassware and clothing; jewellery is one of its biggest attractions.
Gayle has built what she believes is one of the largest collections of pre-loved Butler and Wilson statement jewellery in the country, alongside repaired and restored silver and gemstone jewellery. She is also passionate about championing iconic British brands, including Liberty scarves and Jaeger.
And behind the sparkle and glamour is a serious message about sustainability: reuse rather than replace.
Gayle, who originally trained as a fashion designer and has worked throughout her career in fashion and interiors, believes vintage has an important role to play in creating a more sustainable future.
“We’ve got so much clothing on this planet right now,” she said. “We’ve got enough clothing to clothe many future generations without making one single more piece.
“So, it’s so important to reuse and recycle, and more and more people are understanding that now.”
For Gayle, sustainability is not simply about selling second-hand clothes. It runs through almost every part of the business.
Items which don’t suit the shop are resold or donated to charity rather than being thrown away. Vintage fabrics which can no longer be used are passed to a local maker who turns them into bags, while broken jewellery, old buttons and other craft materials are donated to a local children’s nursery for art projects.
Even packaging is given another life, with Gayle encouraging people to bring unwanted bubble wrap to the shop so it can be reused rather than sent to landfill.
She also creates new pieces from old materials, including denim jackets decorated with vintage Liberty fabrics.
“It’s about keeping as much stuff out of landfill and the rubbish dumps as possible and giving it another life,” she said.
That philosophy is also reflected in the products Gayle chooses to sell. Many vintage items were made at a time when quality, craftsmanship and longevity were valued.
A 1920s handbag, for example, can tell a story of its own.
“I often get pieces and think, ‘What kind of parties have these been to?’” Gayle said. “Sometimes I get stuff from the 1920s and you can just imagine they’ve just walked off the set of Downton Abbey.”
And it is not simply older generations who are embracing vintage.
Younger customers are increasingly buying jewellery, handbags, clothing and leather jackets, attracted by the individuality of vintage pieces and the opportunity to own something with a history rather than buying mass-produced fashion.
For Gayle, that combination of style and sustainability is central to the shop’s appeal.
“There is always somebody who loves something from a particular era,” she said.
Her long-term ambition is to make Vintage in the Tower completely carbon neutral – something she believes the business may already be close to achieving.
For Gayle, it is also the perfect combination of her professional background and lifelong passion.
“It almost feels like a full circle back to fashion and textiles,” she said. “It’s a great passion really.”
Vintage in the Tower is located beside the Pele Tower in the heart of Corbridge and is also available online, with Gayle showcasing items through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
For more information, visit www.vintageatthetower.com.For more information, visit www.vintageatthetower.com.
Ends
Photo: Gayle in the shop (Steve Brock Photography)
PR and media keitH@highlightspr.co.uk