Brigit is a vintage collector and restorer and the face behind Fine Specimens Vintage, an online vintage homewares store based in Tāmaki
What sparked your love of vintage?
I’m the second youngest of seven children, and growing up, our parents really celebrated us as individuals.
My dad was a fire-eater and clown in the circus, and my mum was a singer and performer, so I suppose creativity and a slightly unconventional way of looking at the world was a big part of my upbringing.
I started thrifting when I was a young teenager, and styling myself in vintage clothing became my way of expressing who I was. I liked being different and wearing weird things. I wasn’t particularly interested in looking like everyone else.
This was also the era when you could find Glomesh and Oroton handbags everywhere for just a couple of dollars. I think those early finds really propelled me into my love of collecting vintage handbags — and, eventually, collecting just about anything vintage that caught my eye.
What's your best ever vintage find?
Op shopping in my early 20’s when I lived in Melbourne. I found an amazing gold tassel chain necklace and paid a couple of dollars for it, thinking it was just vintage costume jewellery. Years later I noticed it had a hallmark on it and is actually solid gold. Also my vintage Dior handbag that I paid $10 for and a monogram Pierre Cardin clutch that I won in an auction.
Is there an item you're currently looking for?
I really want a vintage Jil Sander handbag.
What era do you find yourself drawn back to again and again?
The Art Nouveau era for sure. The craftsmanship, the flowing lines, the whimsy of the flora and fauna, nymphs and fairies.
If you could only source vintage from one place, where would that be?
I really love the thrill of bidding and buying at an auction house. So many of them are online now, which is not quite the same though. Aside from that there is nothing like the high of finding a gem for a couple of dollars at an op shop.
What's a wardrobe staple you'll wear forever?
Vintage workwear. Overalls/boilersuits and chore jackets.
What's something you've read, watched, or seen recently that's inspired you?
I watched a Ram Dass video recently where he talked about the “ocean of suffering” in the world, and how even the smallest acts of kindness can create ripples in that ocean, spreading outward and easing the suffering of others.
He said that doing nothing because we feel powerless is the greatest mistake — because our kindness, however small, matters not just to others but to our own hearts also.
A friend of mine passed away recently who lived this so fully. He had an incredible ability to make people feel seen, valued and loved, and he did that for so many people.
It’s made me think about how, in the end, people may not remember exactly what we said or what we achieved, but they will remember how we made them feel.
A reminder to be kind and to do the small things because it does make a difference.