1,000 vintage and designer items up for grabs in one-weekend-only pop-up

Posted on 28 November, 2025

A Christian Dior wedding dress from the 1970s. A Prada leather tote. A romper that almost appeared on Sex and the City. And 997 other vintage and designer pieces.

After 25 years of collecting, Abigail Barry is opening her archives, and Canberra vintage lovers have just one weekend to get first pick.

She’s cleared out her cramped closet for a one-of-a-kind pop-up shop in the city, which Canberra locals will be able to browse and buy from on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December.

Spanning the 1800s to early 2000s, from whimsical to minimal, couture to casual, Abigail’s collection was slowly amassed over 25 years, after she started to collect clothes in the 1990s to sell at markets. What began as a way to make money to attend university quickly became an obsession.

Transforming her hobby into a business – then trading under the name Salvage Vintage – she would scour Canberra op-shops and source pieces from overseas, building a collection that slowly began to catch the attention of Australia’s fashion elite.

“I established relationships with stylists, and they would reach out,” says Abigail.

“I would take photos and go to the photo lab and ask for five lots to be printed. Then I would send them to Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, all the magazines like that.”

She spent hours packing boxes full of clothes to send to magazine stylists to use in shoots and – often much to her surprise when the photos were printed – for staff to wear to Fashion Week.

She even pitched sending a 1970s red satin romper to Patricia Field, the Emmy-winning costume designer behind Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic wardrobe. With its heart-shaped top and gold sequin trim, Field loved the romper and wanted to style Sarah Jessica Parker in it for an episode of Sex and the City.

Now, reflecting on the success of the series and its impact on the world of fashion, Abigail wishes she’d made that trip to the post office.

“It would have been iconic…She would have been running down the street in her high heels!”

But now one lucky shopper can buy what could have been a piece of pop-culture history.

After years running Salvage Vintage, Abigail’s passion for fashion evolved into making clothing.

Launching Things We Lost – the house label for Landspeed Records – she says that the demands eventually became too much.

“At Things We Lost, I was using vintage clothes, tweaking them and redesigning them as a label,” she explains.

“It got to a point where I either had to go all in or get out. If I had been 10 years younger, I would have gone all in, but once I stopped that, I thought I would change Things We Lost to sell all of this.”

Originally planning to sell her collection online, Abigail realised she’d be on her deathbed still trying to list items. Deciding that a pop-up was the only realistic option, the result is a room that resembles the fabled Vogue fashion closet.

“I’ve counted the clothes, and there are over 1,000 garments, masses of jewellery, bags, shoes, hats, scarves, sunglasses, belts…everything from the 1800s through the early 2000s,” explains Abigail.

“This is the stuff I’ve tucked away for a rainy day, and now it’s the rainy day.”

Stocking brands like Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Celine, Thierry Mugler, Chloé, Nina Ricci, Calvin Klein, Armani and Dior – along with other, handmade vintage items – Abigail has priced the pieces based on her own research and what she thinks is fair.

There’s even a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels – another item Carrie Bradshaw would have loved.

And while Abigail insists there’s “plenty for everyone,” seasoned vintage shoppers know the rule: it will be first in, best dressed – literally.

“It’s such a broad collection, and because I have items from so many different eras, it’s not really for any one type of customer.”

“I’ve got the classic 50s dresses, but then there’s the 2000s designer stuff…there’s something for everyone.”

Doors will open at 10 am, with the exact location to be announced on the Things We Lost Instagram page closer to the date. Both cash and card will be accepted on the day.

Keep an eye on the Things We Lost Instagram page for the exact location announcement – this is one shopping event you won’t want to miss.