2023 Board

President: Maggie Muellner/MagsRags

I grew up in hand-me-downs from various cousins. Despite that(!), I started wearing and collecting vintage in college and have been selling online since 2001. My favorite era is the 1940s—it appeals to my eye and suits my personal sense of style. I sell on Etsy and MagsRags.net. I joined the VFG in 2007, I served as a Member at Large in 2021, and last year I was Vice President. I am also part of the VFG Shop on Facebook admin team, which includes shopVFG on Instagram.

I’m a retired midwife and GYN NP, and a self-taught dabbler in multiple fields, from graphics to gardening. Married, widowed, remarried, with a grown daughter who still models vintage for me when we can manage it. I spent many years in community theater, acting and costuming. I still work periodically with a Golden Age of Radio group, where I get to wear my best 40s vintage—including a hat! But I’ve stepped back from more time-intensive theater the last few years to indulge my travel itch—that has taken me to Europe, Southeast Asia, and most of the Hawaiian Islands. I look forward to discovering what else life has in store for me.

 

Vice President: Maggie Wilds/denisebrain

I was born vintage. My parents were older, and their parents were older too. I was surrounded by older thoughts, behavior, and things—clothes, for instance.

My degrees are in music. Much of my life has been spent playing horn in orchestras and I have mentored quite a few horn students in college and private teaching.

Meanwhile, I’ve always loved old clothing, and was wearing it from the age of 13. I began selling vintage clothing as denisebrain in 1999. While still making music, vintage fashion is my second career and I’m smitten by it. There’s so much to know, and so much quality and variety to be found. I love that it is the most beautiful of reuse. I’ve recently shared what I’ve learned in a book, Wear Vintage Now: Choose It, Care for It, Style It Your Way.

Manatees are another passion. I donate 10% of my earnings for manatee protection, and work to raise awareness of their plight as endangered animals.

A VFG member since 2005, I wrote and continue to expand the VFG’s Fabric Resource. It was my honor to serve as VFG President, and now to serve as VP.

 

Treasurer: Victoria Lazarova

For me, vintage fashion wasn’t a love at first sight but rather a slow and growing appreciation that became a passion. I first stumbled upon it when I found a stunning 1950s dress at an estate sale on Martha’s Vineyard in the early 2000s and felt an immense draw to it for its beauty, meticulous stitches, and in some way, the sense of presence of its previous owner.

It sparked a passion to research and learn about the designers, brands, and stores of bygone eras which gives me immense pleasure to this day. It sparked the creation of my shop, Vintagiality which has been on Etsy since 2010.

It also introduced me to the VFG, a wonderful community of passionate and knowledgeable people with unfaltering dedication who have been so kind to share their expertise.

This is my third year on the VFG board and my second one as Treasurer. I have been on the VFG Label Resource team, one of my most favorite duties, since shortly after I joined.

 

Secretary: Harriet Ulph

Like so many of us, I have been drawn to vintage clothing and accessories for as long as I can remember. My first experience selling the items I’d amassed from Saturday jumble sales was in a makeshift stall at Glastonbury Festival. At 17, I had found the perfect way to fund my vintage habit—and have been both buying and selling my way through life ever since!

I gradually moved from fairs and festivals into my own website, ‘tastyvintage’ for the next decade. From 2008 to 2019, I also had a bricks and mortar shop in Lincoln, UK, before downsizing to a private studio where I sell by appointment. I still sell online via Etsy , and from my own website. You can find me on Instagram as @afternumbernine.

I first joined the VFG in May 2004, and served several terms on the VFG board in the early days. I will always be grateful for the support and knowledge I found—and continue to find—here. Self employment can be a lonely business! I’m enjoying being back in the boardroom, and seeing just how much the VFG has grown since my previous involvement.

 

Member at Large: Lorraine Bocharova/thegrannywardrobe

This is my second year serving on the VFG Board as MAL. It is also my privilege to work on the main VFG Instagram page, growing from 8K to 48K (and counting) in 1.5 years!

I moved to the West Coast of Canada from the UK, and am now settled in Vancouver with my husband, my toddler son and my cat Ferguson.

I was raised by my granny. She was the type of elegant lady you would see in the movies, who loved to dress up wherever she went. She was a master at accessorising and had a keen eye for colours and patterns. Granny passed away when I was still little, and I missed her so very dearly. Every time I looked at photos of her, I could almost smell her perfume and felt the soft silk scarves on her neck as if she was holding me in her arms.

I wanted to have something to honour my memories of her. I started wearing her scarves and brooches. I was 10. Fast forward to my early 20s, I started collecting vintage pieces I found in thrift stores, flea markets and random places when I travelled and started building my own collection.

As my collection grew larger, the wardrobe in our small apartment was getting so full that my husband didn’t even have any space left for his minimum wardrobe of 5 t-shirts and 2 pairs of trousers. An idea was born: Why don’t I start my own vintage clothing shop?

And voilà—The Granny Wardrobe was founded in 2019!

I mainly sell on Etsy and I’m also working on an update of my website.

 

Member at Large: Mary Jane Enros/PoppysVintageClothing

I’ve been in the vintage clothing business for over 40 years now. It all began with watching films from the 1930s and 40s when I was a little girl. They held such a fascination for me, the clothes were just so beautiful! Back in the 70s, it felt so special to go out in a 30s velvet jacket or a silk bed jacket and camisole with your jeans. My grandmother gave me some of her 1940s wool coats, jackets and dresses and one of my favorite pairs of 1940s shoes, which were made of a suede lace and they had chunky squared heels—I wore those to death!

I went into business at the age of 22 with my mentor, a British lady who had an amazing shop. I purchased my 30s wedding gown from her made of silk satin with seed pearl trim and a long train. I eventually opened my own shop in an amazing art deco ballroom space in the Westmount, Montreal area and had it for 9 years.

eBay came along and my husband and I decided to begin parting with some of our collections. It was easy at the beginning as eBay was fresh and rather exciting and people loved it. It became difficult to rely on eBay and so we diversified. Now we are selling over five different online venues, three shops on Etsy, VintageFanAttic, CoolFoolVintage and PassedPossessions and our own Poppy’s Vintage Clothing website as well as Poppy’s Vintage Clothing on Ruby Lane.

I have been on the VFG board as a MAL before, as VP and as President. I have also been on the Membership Committee twice.

 

Member at Large: Abby Kuehne

I am the owner and operator of For the Love of MCM Vintage and have been playing vintage dress up since I was a child, in 1950s prom gowns my mom would buy me from a local vintage shop. I have dealt in midcentury modern furniture and vintage clothing for ten years now and am excited to bring hand-curated vintage finds to collectors all around the globe.

I am self taught regarding my work in vintage and always am growing and learning, which keeps me excited and always on my toes. My background is in journalism and public relations, so as a proud member of the Vintage Fashion Guild, I take pride in research and accuracy of the products I offer. Sustainability and eco-friendly choices are important to me and one of the reasons I not only wear and collect vintage and midcentury modern but also why I choose to work diligently to bring more sustainable options in clothing, household and furniture into the market.

As a first-time member of the VFG board as a Member at Large, I look forward to learning more about the day-to-day operations of the organization. I am thrilled at the opportunity to become more involved in a nonprofit I greatly believe in, in order to continue setting a standard in both buying and selling vintage worldwide.

 

Member at Large: Sandra Mendoza

My name is Sandra Mendoza and I have been wearing, collecting and selling vintage for over 25 years. I know, I was like 2!

Launched in August 2005, Debutante Clothing started as a vintage style blog and evolved to a full fledged vintage clothing shop with a brick and mortar boutique in Downtown Pomona and e-commerce site. If you want to get to know me, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

My work includes published articles about vintage and fashion history, interviews with costume and fashion designers, styling, consulting, and serving as vintage fashion expert witness in a high profile fashion case.

The Debutante Clothing vintage shop is located in downtown Pomona, CA in the heart of the Arts District.

 

Member at Large: Heather Ramey

I started wearing vintage in my early teens, raiding my parent’s clothing from the 60s and 70s and pairing with army surplus and thrift store finds.

After graduating with a BA from the fashion design program at VCU in Richmond, VA, I moved to New York and worked as a designer until 2010 when I switched to freelance and started Noble Vintage Clothier.

I had been inspired by NYC’s vintage-themed parties and was looking for a more sustainable career and decided that selling vintage might be that path.

Over the years I’ve sold at in-person events in NYC and Brooklyn such as Manhattan Vintage, A Current Affair and the Jazz Age Lawn Party. I also have a website, and a women’s and men’s shop on Etsy.

During Covid I relocated to Virginia and have been setting up at the DC Flea, the Sturbridge Show and Manhattan Vintage.

I became a VFG member in late 2011, regularly utilizing its label resource and routinely contributing to the fashion parades and fresh vintage threads. 2023 is my second year on the VFG Board serving as a Member at Large, and I have been working towards reorganizing the Pinterest Boards.

 

Member at Large: Suzanne Williams/Vintage Runway

I was mostly raised in Florida. My degree from Stetson University in Deland, Florida is in Humanities concentrating on music. I worked as a travel agent and a flute teacher, co-directing a Suzuki music school for several years. I became a realtor in 2007, now retired. I still play the flute, both classical and Celtic/old time/bluegrass/folk and am in several bands. I moved to western North Carolina in 1989 with my husband and three now-grown children. This area is rich in Scots Irish heritage and the music reflects that.

Now, about vintage! I learned to sew at age 12 and enjoyed making clothing for myself and children. I love fabric, art, design and history. My mother and I loved antiquing and I discovered vintage children’s handkerchiefs. From there, I started a vintage-inspired baby clothing line, which ended after three years for lack of a profit. I had, however, gotten the bug to have my own business and I still loved vintage. I started listing some of my own 1970s clothing on Etsy and, lo and behold, they sold! That got me hooked and I was off. I opened Vintage Runway on Etsy in September 2009. I love everything about it. The sourcing, photographing, editing, cleaning, even ironing. I get bored easily but I have not gotten bored with Vintage Runway! I now sell on Etsy, Ruby Lane and Fashion Constellate. I also have a linens and bedding shop on Etsy called High Cotton Vintage, specializing in quilts and antique coverlets. I have been a member of The Vintage Fashion Guild since August 2014 and am proud to be in my second year as a Member at Large.