Frocks, Docs & Diamonds Calendar 2014

We are excited about our very own 2014 Calendar! This features models from our Frocks, Docs & Diamonds Fashion Parades.. Fab Christmas present and available from the front counter for $19.95.

Paddington Antique Centre 4th Annual Vintage Fashion Parade

4th Annual Fashion Parade 14th June

Greetings Fellow Fashionistas! Just a note to brief you on this year’s Annual Paddington Antique Centre Vintage Fashion Parade, Grimm Vintage. The much-anticipated tickets are now on sale. Four days in and half have already sold.

Due to space limitations we can only fit a certain number of people in the venue, so tickets are at a premium. To ensure that everyone has a chance of securing tickets, we have limited sales to a maximum of 10 per person.

This year’s parade will have all the successful hallmarks of previous years with some additional surprises. There will be 50 outfits, with almost as many models—a massive undertaking .

Once again Clovely Estate will be our partner in this event; however, to enable us to concentrate our resources on the parade we have decided to handover the operation of the bar to them. You will receive a glass of champagne on arrival and food will be free as in previous years. All additional drinks will be provided by a cash bar.

A prize of a $250 PAC gift voucher will be presented to the best dressed on the night.

I look forward to seeing you all in your best frock for what is set to be another fabulous Paddington Party!

Suzy Baines

Steampunk comes to PAC foyer!

STEAMPUNK

As an established sub-genre of science fiction, "Steampunk"is inspired by 19th Century Western society and its undeniable passion for steam powered machinery.

The Steampunk movement and subsequent style incorporates the most romanticized aspects of the American Wild West and a fanciful vision of a post-apocalyptic future. The result is a dramatic and theatrical aesthetic influencing the realms of fashion, culture, architecture and all facets of visual art.

Combine Victorian corsets and petticoats with the gadgetry of Jules Verne and HG Wells and you have the beginnings of Steampunk. Add to this vision a pair of goggles, a top hat or a leather holster and you have a sense of this exciting and individual vintage-inspired philosophy.

For a further glimpse into the Steampunk world, watch the 1965 TV series The Wild Wild West or the Will Smith movie of the same name. Or read the 1999 comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentleman or the film adaptation of 2003.

There are many devoted exponents of the Steampunk genre in modern art, literature and music. Even with artists not exclusively deemed Steampunk, homage is often given to its obvious attraction. Recently for example, the music video of “Turn me on” by David Guetta and featuring Nicki Minaj takes place in a Steampunk universe where Guetta creates human droids.

Even if you are not really a devotee of the clothing style, Steampunk is a stimulating and playful way to dress up your environment. Whether you create a whole room with a suggestion of a Sherlockian neo-Victorian library or just arrange fascinating vignettes of taxidermy, scientific instruments and widgets, be inspired and transported by Steampunk. You can hear the whistle blowing!

All aboard the Steampunk train!!

Fossick & find at The Duka (shop 27)

Regular visitors to PAC will know and love the organised chaos  which makes the Duka one of the of the most popular shops to explore in the centre. 

Ron Gray has been in the business for 40 years. He has been at PAC for 24 years. Back in 1972 his wife Arda bought a small antique business at Clayfield. Mainly as a hobby for something to do (other than being a stay at home mother.) After a few months they decided to take an opportunity to expand and go full time. A shop was purchased in Nudgee Rd and Ron quit his office manager job and the rest is history so to speak.
Expect to find an everchanging scene of collectable bricabrac items, books and pictures. Ron tries to cater for a wide collector's market when buying items. Many a treasure have been found by both dealers and customers alike.
The Duka operates on the basis of as quick a turnover of stock as possible and they sell the idea of "Fossick and you will find".Visit shop 27 and you will see for yourself.

Buttons Blossom

The button shop at Paddington is blossoming courtesy of the enthusiasm of the collectors out there and the number of people who can't walk past a small, but evocative piece of fashion history. We have an ever-changing display of antique, vintage, and selected contemporary  buttons for sale including an exclusive range of enamel buttons made in a small artisan studio in Italy. Many of these enamelled beauties are in art deco styles. Our clientele are a creative bunch looking for something to add a unique and original finish to a garment or design piece. Just today we had the lovely folk from Queensland Theatre Company purchase some gorgeous vintage glass buttons to finish the look on a fabulous sequinned jacket to be worn by Judy Garland ( played by Christen O'leary) in the upcoming production of End of the Rainbow. 

February foyer display

A Paddington tradition is the constant change in our spacious foyer area. We don’t just window dress; we do a complete scene change, just about every month. In the past, dealers have been invited to put together a display and customers have contributed from personal collections. Mostly the displays are for sale; sometimes special pieces are display-only to give our customers the opportunity to see fabulous things that they wouldn’t otherwise see.

Some of our previous foyer displays have included art nouveau, mid century design, 50s Christmas, Japanese & photographic. (You can see photos on our website under foyer displays.)

This month we celebrate Chinese New Year featuring traditional Chinese pieces including Jade ornaments, jewellery,ceramics, cloisonne vases, sculptures, art and more.