Ferdinand Vintage

This post has been a (very) long time coming. But, finally, welcome to Ferdinand Vintage! I was super lucky to spend the day with the lovely Virginia at her new store on lower Cuba Street. We'd been following each other through Instagram and Depop for a while and I always loved catching her latest clothing drops and when she announced that she'd set up shop in Cuba Street I was super excited to check it out!

Her shop may be small but it is jam-packed with so many vintage and second-hand treasures. When I entered Ferdinand Vintage for the first time I was overwhelmed by beautiful colours, prints and textures and I ended up scoring a stunning little 60s dress from her that I'm completely in love with. Virginia has decked out Ferdinand with the theme of an intimate bedroom or living room space, with a retro-style dresser housing lingerie pieces and picture-perfect green velvet armchair or 'the boyfriend chair'. I was immediately struck by how cosy the space felt and Virginia's goal to create an intimate shopping experience was one that I was super in to. Along the front wall, I found several racks full of amazing and unique pieces. Ferdinand isn't pigeonholed to just one style, you'll find anything from vintage, 60s and 70s to contemporary or early 2000s pieces.

I found that Virginia and I had so much in common and a bunch to talk about, we got on like a house on fire! So, spending a day at Ferdinand playing dress-up with all of her incredible pieces was such a great experience. I picked out a huge pile of all of my favourite items and began piecing outfits together. My absolute favourites would have to be the chunky brown boots with the flower cut-out and that incredible warm-toned 70s dress! I had so much fun trying on all of the clothes and trying to find my least awkward pose for the camera (still not my strong suit). I'm also a huge fan of the groovy orange vest with a crazy cool card suits pattern. I really had to restrain myself from taking that one home with me...

As a fellow Depop seller, I could relate to so many of the struggles and triumphs Virginia talked about. But, it was really interesting to hear about the physical store side of things. Obviously, this is any online sellers dream and having a physical space to see your stock and meet buyers face-to-face would be so awesome. However, it was fascinating to learn about all of the work and behind the scenes admin that goes into a place like Ferdinand. Especially as it's just Virginia in there on her own. Whilst balancing uni life, friends, family and selling online, she also has a whole store to tend to. It's a lot.

Currently, Ferdinand Vintage isn't open for customers, but Virginia has a super exciting idea in the works that I think you're all going to love. It's something that creates a truly new and unique shopping experience, unlike anything else here on Cuba Street. I'm a huge advocate for supporting local and growing businesses like Ferdinand and it makes me so inspired to see a young person, like myself out there doing it, taking risks and being creative. So, go check out Virginia's store! You can find Ferdinand on both Instagram and Depop, where you can purchase any of her available stock. Or, keep your eyes peeled for the re-launch of her Cuba Street store coming soon!

Ferdinand Vintage Depop
Ferdinand Vintage Instagram
Ferdinand Vintage Facebook

Bella 🌼

Birthday Colour Study

It's official...I'm finally eighteen! It feels like I've waited so long to be the same age as my closet friends (and Ben) and to actually be considered a legal adult. Landing on a Sunday this year, my birthday was on the 24th of November. I spent my day surrounded by my favourite people, opening presents, playing card games and eating my all-time favourite meals. It was a lovely day and I'm super grateful to have so many amazing people in my life that made it so special. But, after the excitement was over I found (like most years) a new age didn't really make much of a difference to how I felt.

We decided to go out the night before my birthday hit, so as the clock struck midnight I'd be an official (legal) adult. But, I found that the novelty wore off pretty quickly when I witnessed the horrors of Courtenay Place on a Saturday night. I had been so excited to experience this foreign thing that was so often discussed within my friend circle. But, I didn't even make it to the door of the first club before giving up and deciding it just wasn't for me. It was also a case of eating some crazy fried chicken and then being stuck in a sweaty, overcrowded line of drunk teenagers that did it. Ben and I walked home, feeling a little defeated and not very 'eighteen' at all.

I've now been eighteen for just over a week and I can honestly say it feels just like seventeen. I haven't even taken my ID out for a night yet, and I really don't have any desire to. I guess those 'right of passage' things just aren't for everyone and maybe I'll always prefer the tamer things in life. I did feel a little disappointed when I woke on the morning of my birthday. It was as if I'd failed at being a true teenager and I simply couldn't understand why I disliked it so much. Maybe it was the copious amounts of vomit all over the pavement or the testosterone-filled groups of sweaty boys that put me off. Or are we meant to enjoy that at eighteen??

Hopefully, I'm not the only one that feels this way, but I think I've finally accepted that I don't have to enjoy clubbing or gross bars to be eighteen. There are plenty of things that I do in my day to day life that bring me so much more joy than those experiences ever could. For me, eighteen is going to be an age of independence and growing up. I'm super excited to tell you all (very soon) about my plan for next year and how I plan to grow my business and this blog in the future. With every new age and new year that goes by I learn so much more, especially about myself, and this year has been no exception. So, happy birthday to me! :))

Bella 🌼

Playschool - A Depop Lookbook

It's about time I shot another Depop Lookbook and once again this one features my beautiful friends Taara and Stella! As we head into Summer and my Depop store begins transitioning into shorts, skirts and dresses I wanted to show you some different ways of styling Summer looks and how each piece looks on different body types too! This Summer you'll find groovy coloured shorts on the store, along with matching tanks and tie-up cardigans. I also scored an incredible vintage matching set that you're gonna love! So, keep your eyes peeled...

As always, I love the blend of retro style with contemporary trends and details from 90s and early 2000s fashion. I don't like pigeonholing the style of my store too much and I don't think there are any rules as to how many or few styles you can mix into your closet. I've been loving knee-length shorts at the moment and already have a few for sale on the store (see here and here). I also adore the way they look with some chunky boots or better yet-cowboy boots! Stella wears the slime green knee-length shorts coming to the store soon, paired with some groovy white boots that will also be available in the next few weeks. It's such an unlikely combination but I love it, especially with the black and white contrast stitch tank!

Something you'll be seeing a lot of on the store (in any season) is bright, vibrant colours. I love the way that Stella wears the bright yellow vest with the yellow plaid cotton shorts. That clashy look is so fun and perfect for warmer weather. You'll find plenty of yellow, as well as orange, red, purple and of course, green! Taara wears my favourite lil slime green crop (coming soon), with the green Paul Frank slide belt available on the store now. Even though it's Summer, I always like to have funky pairs of pants in rotation, they always come in handy. Taara also wears the 1970s cream flares, which will be coming to the store later this month.

I try to stock as many items on my Depop store that can be mixed and matched to create multiple different looks. Everything you see on Taara and Stella can be switched around to create completely different outfits with unique colour schemes! I love a good statement piece, but it's made even better when you can pair it with multiple different bits in your existing closet. Taara wears the vintage red plaid shorts, which I'm so obsessed with! These shorts look great with a simple shirt, or a milkmaid style top like the one see in this look. I would also style these plaid shorts with some knee-high boots for a more retro look.

I'm super excited for Summer and all of the fun new pieces that will be coming your way! I'd love to style some more shoots over the Summer too, showcasing my clothes on different body types and with outfits to (hopefully) inspire you. So, if you're a Wellington gal who wants some free shots in some funky second-hand clothing (+ a lil discount on the store) then reach out to me and we'll set something up! You'll be seeing plenty more of these gorgeous humans, Stella and Taara too!
Read below for individual items and Depop links.





(All images belong to Bella Foster Depop and you can find original listings here)

Groovy 90s Does 70s White Boots - coming soon
Retro Lemon Yellow Vest - $35 nzd
Slime Green Vintage Shorts - coming soon
Fluffy Orange Bucket Hat - $38 nzd
True Vintage 1970s Red Plaid Shorts - $52 nzd
Lemon Yellow Puffed Sleeve Milkmaid Top - $42 nzd
1970s Cream Flares - coming soon
Green Paul Frank Canvas Slide Belt - $32 nzd
White Knit Vest w Black Contrast Stitch - $22 nzd
Vintage Yellow & Blue Cotton Shorts - $49 nzd
Slime Green Crop Cardigan - coming soon

Bella 🌼