On 13 October, in the circus of Fontvieille something happened that was even more than a circus show, there was an atmospheric vintage fair exposition by Monaco Vintage, founded by Audrey QUENIN. This “retro act” totally did not look like a standard vintage market. Already at the entrance you could find a huge selection of unique antique slot machines, and a little further you could get a chance to try some local delicacies from the food-truck, listening to the atmospheric novelties of the funk music. At the end of the tour, ladies could even get an opportunity to get a manicure in a retro minivan.
Audrey, the founder of Vintage Monaco, explained to HelloMonaco about the main concept of the event and what kinds of surprises are prepared for the guests:
“The ‘Vintage’ concept was launched 6 years ago in Montpellier and in Marseilles. I always had an ambition to present my project on the Cote d’Azur, having doubts in choosing between Nice and Monaco. In the end, my choice settled on Monaco, after I saw the ‘dome’ of the Fontvieille circus, I realised that this is the right location where a miracle should happen! I wanted to create something that would please both the residents of Monaco and the public from neighbouring towns. In the framework of this project, collectors of vintage goods (from clothes to interior items and cars) came to the Principality from many regions of France and even from Naples, Italy! Also, here you will not see competition; we are all standing for free exchange. Everyone represents the goods in their specialisation and in a friendly way directs the client to their colleague in case they cannot find the desired item. The main goal of Vintage Monaco is to create an incredible family atmosphere. It is not only ‘come and see’, as at all standard vintage expositions. This is also the pastime of your day off, so that all members of the family will be happy. Children can play hopscotch and tic-tac-toe, while dads are looking at classic retro cars, and moms are browsing the shops full of vintage accessories.”
HelloMonaco chose 5 the most iconic vintage pieces presented at Vintage Monaco.
The first of the selected objects is the old ‘gentleman’s’ cosmetic bag from Hermes, from the 1950s. The set includes shoe brushes, a manicure set, all kinds of cases and, of course, cologne bottles. According to Raul, a collector of vintage fashion items, this item is incredibly popular now, as many customers purchase a cosmetic bag as a decoration for bathrooms.
The next unique piece is a suspended locker called ‘Monaco’. “This locker was created by a Parisian designer who called his works in honour of French cities. Specifically, this cabinet dates back to 1955. It is a vivid representative of modernity, namely avant-garde. This is evidenced by the rounded angles and the original way of opening individual sections, only by pressing the frame of the doors,” says the French collector.
‘Cap d’Ail’ follows ‘Monaco’, and not only geographically. At the exposition right next to the ‘Monaco’ locker there was a cosy garden set in clean white, and it consisted of a lace-liketable and highly elegant chairs. “This set was created over 9 years (from 1950 to 1959) and was named after the city in the South of France. It’s really a very rare piece!”, says Audrey.
Car enthusiasts could also easily find things to do here. Ferrari F40 and icons of the period Dolce Vita̶ the Fiat 500 also found their place in the exposition. We managed to talk with Massimo Peleson, president of the 500 Monte-Carlo Club, who talked about his exhibits.
“At Vintage Monaco we decided to present some really old models of Fiat 500 cars in the convertible version dated 1968 and 1969. In the world there exist only 500 of the following models. The price of each one reaches 50,000 euros. Outside, we also displayed two more cars: the red Fiat500, which this year turned 60, and Fiat500L. This model is now being presented in New York at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). The Fiat500 starteda real revolution in Europe, since for every second family it was the first car. Despite the fact that women had just started driving, it was quite a simple vehicle in terms of driving and parking. Many years have passed, but still, it’s so nice to be behind the wheel of this car!”
One of the most interesting objects can be called a dress-transformer from Paco Rabanne “Do it yourself” of 1980. Aspecialist of the brand shared the unique points of this dress:
“First of all, this dress is a kind of constructor. It is sold in a special case, in which there are individual large sequins, links and a plan. It’s very possible that you will spend about 7 hours on the “building process”, but the advantage is that you can create different sizes, from 36 to 42.”
Among the incredible retro posters, ancient lighting pieces and delightful fashionable outfits, you will find a small touch of the modernity with designers of trendy jewellery and interior decorations with their creations: entertaining, fresh and different! The task of Vintage Monaco is complete! We are saying “à bientôt” to the Vintage Monaco exposition, hoping to see the creative exhibition again very soon.