My interest in treasure hunting, vintage clothing & antiques began over 30 years ago~~I used to sit at my grandmother's side and watch her work miracles with fabric and vintage patterns on her old~fashioned foot~pedal sewing machine. We would sit into the wee hours of the morning and talk about fabric, seams, interfacing, quality garment construction, style vs. trends, the classics vs. fashion fads. Not only was she an amazing seamstress, she was a wonderful listener, mentor and friend. Her words of wisdom, encouragement and absolute confidence in my ability to succeed at anything I put my mind (and heart) to now serve as my muse for The Red Velvet Shoe.
For many years I was in the employ of Estee Lauder & Co. and spent a lot of time in mall department stores. As a result, I developed a strong aversion to "mall shopping". All along, though, I was collecting some amazing vintage garments~~a purse here, a suit there, a fabulous pair of crushed velvet shoes made in England. I wore a hot pink 1950's Bonwit Teller suit when I stood up for my sister on her wedding day. . .I still enjoy wearing it and hope that one day my daughter will wear it as well. That is the beauty of vintage clothing; with proper care it can last for generations and the classics never go out of style.
The launch of The Red Velvet Shoe has been the result of many years of collecting and studying vintage clothing & an ever~growing predilection for old~world style clothing & antiques. My ultimate dream is to have an actual storefront, but at this time The Red Velvet Shoe operates solely as an on-line boutique. We are located just outside of Providence, RI in a small town in Massachusetts.
The Red Velvet Shoe is proud to offer beautiful garments for the lady's wardrobe with fine attention to detail and the utmost regard for Client Satisfaction. Our goal is to provide a genuine vintage boutique shopping experience. I am the owner and sole employee of The Red Velvet Shoe, which allows me to oversee every last detail to ensure that this goal is met with each and every client, each and every time.
In September of 2009, I launched a sister shop called The Red Velvet Shoe on Etsy .
You can find my musings on the blog: "Tales From A Vintage Wardrobe" .
Thank you for visiting and enjoy your shopping at The Red Velvet Shoe. Your inquiries & comments are always welcome. You may reach me at:
Very cordially yours,
Michelle Johnson
Proprietress of The Red Velvet Shoe
