I attended my first vintage fair over a decade ago now and remember it like it was just last week. My mum and I would use these events as an excuse to get dolled up in our finery and put aside the whole day for snooping. We’d set off, the mystery ahead of us, and return home with bagfuls of treasures.
As we all know, that’s the joy of vintage; you never know exactly what you’re going to find. The event of vintage shopping is just as exciting as the items themselves, and nothing beats that moment when the three sections of the Venn diagram come together: an item you love, in your size, at a price you can afford.
It was this borderline obsession with all things vintage that led me to boost my hobby into a career. With a little help from my friends, and of course my gorgeous mum Vivien, Viva Soul London launched in November 2016. My aim has always been simple – make vintage accessible to all, with prices that mean unique items can be enjoyed every day.
As well as vintage fairs in the capital, we’ve also taken part in events in Hastings, and some towns in between. The London and out of London events can sometimes seem miles apart, in more than just a geographical sense. In London, you have access to incredible footfall, and visitors’ dedication to their vintage calendar is impressive. With something to do every weekend if you look hard enough, there’s always a bit of old-fashioned fun to be had.
Sometimes, however, traders can be eaten up by these big events. Central locations come with a big pitch fee price tag, and a single purchase can seem like life or death when you’ve paid £100+ for the privilege of being there.
Out of town vintage fairs produce a community spirit unlike anything else. When days are great you celebrate together, and when the tumbleweed is passing by you all lift each other’s optimism for a more successful day to come.
Sadly, the quiet moments can be far too frequent. Despite pitch fees being lower at rural venues, profits can be on the small side.
We see a gap in the market and want to work towards a happy middle ground. The Soul Love Vintage Fair will aim to provide an event where traders and customers can come together and celebrate their love of vintage, without anyone breaking the bank.
Although we started as a “real” fair, the pandemic forced us to go virtual. Since then the number of traders and customers have grown tremendously, as we can introduce Soul Love to a wider range of vintage numbers, no matter their location. Unlike some other faits we have an unlimited number of trading spots and sign-up starts from as little as £5.
So come join the SLVF family! We can’t wait to welcome you.
Lydia and Team Soul Love x
Browse the Soul Love website and Instagram account to see the traders taking part in the upcoming fair. You can use your save button to make a shortlist
Set a reminder at the top of this page to alert you when the fair goes live. Follow on Instagram as traders start posting their items for the day
Search #soullovevintagefair to view all the tagged items from every trader who is taking part. You can also follow the hashtag so posts appear on your feed
For questions or purchases of any item showcased, contact the trader directly. Soul Love won't be answering queries or taking payments
Sit back, relax and wait for the postie to deliver your new items! Don’t forget to tag us when you post about your purchases - we love to see our happy customers
Browse the Soul Love website and Instagram account to see the traders taking part in the upcoming fair. You can use your save button to make a shortlist
Set a reminder at the top of this page to alert you when the fair goes live. Follow on Instagram as traders start posting their items for the day
Search #soullovevintagefair to view all the tagged items from every trader who is taking part. You can also follow the hashtag so posts appear on your feed
For questions or purchases of any item showcased, contact the trader directly. Soul Love won't be answering queries or taking payments
Sit back, relax and wait for the postie to deliver your new items! Don’t forget to tag us when you post about your purchases - we love to see our happy customers
What a fab way to spend a weekend! We had so much fun taking part in the Soul Love Vintage Fair. Really well planned and loved all of the build up of posts and stories leading up to the day. It’s all in the details and they were spot on! We especially loved the inclusivity and fairness of Lydia’s approach as an organiser. With such a variety of traders there really was something for everyone.
I always look forward to the Soul Love Vintage Fairs - they're simply the best on Instagram! There are so many traders, all selling at a cheaper price than usual, and so many gems to be found. All of the traders are so helpful too - sending more images, measurements, etc - so you can be sure of bagging your perfect item.
As a trader I thoroughly enjoyed the Soul Love Vintage Fair. In the build up I discovered new traders which in a lonely vintage world right now was amazing. On the day I found the process really easy and browsed the hashtag myself. I had lots of sales, new followers and more traffic to my website than ever before. A great day and I'll definitely be doing the next one!
Had a wonderful day, shopping at Soul Love Vintage Fair. There were so many traders, I found lots who were new to me, and who carried my style of vintage fashion. Thanks to the organiser’s pre-fair “heads up” Instagram posts, I started following them several days before the event, which meant I could get in early for the items I wanted. It was really easy to find everything under the #soullovevintagefair hashtag so I felt I hadn’t missed seeing anything, and I really appreciated the survey afterwards, asking what I thought of the fair. Saving up for the next one, as I know I’ll find lots to buy!
The Soul Love Vintage Fair was a welcome break from lockdown life. Can't wait until the next one! I loved seeing all the traders wares and even managed to score a few bargains. I am eagerly awaiting the mail each day!
Soul Love Vintage Fair was ace fun to trade at. It was super easy and slick and I loved their design work. I did a set of videos to introduce myself as a trader and gained loads of new followers from that. I made a few sales on the day and have had some easy sales since from new customers also. Thank you for organising an ace new virtual fair for me to take part in again and again (please?)
When I shopped at Soul Love I never felt rushed or pressured. There was a brilliant range of sellers who were both friendly and patient. I felt transported, browsing through the rails online - it was great escapism! I can't wait for my goodies to arrive in the post!
Soul Love Vintage Fair was my first virtual vintage fair and it was such a great experience! I had a great time chatting to customers and traders and it was great to share some treasures with both. My boyfriend was also very pleased as he hadn't had to get up early and help set up a physical stall! Can't wait for the next one - thank you!
If you’re having trouble submitting the form from a mobile device, please swap to a laptop or computer. Thank you!