tweets, vintage styling and vogue
Twitter has its fair quota of retro devotees and it was through a Twitter conversation that I first came across Amanda Dunn aka @BillyOneHorn. Our first tweet-chat was about how best to achieve a retro style when making your own bunting, and good sources of vintage-style fabrics. Since then I have followed the progress of her rural vintage caravan business with interest.
The last few months have been an amazing journey for her from acquiring a new vintage Cheltenham ‘Millie’ in need of renovation with the plan to have it sit alongside her other caravans, to having it feature in Italian Vogue.
I spoke to her recently about the unexpected and amazing success of this project. She said, ‘I have learned sooo much, but most of all, the experience that has restored my faith in British people at a time that couldn’t be more poignant. I have been overwhelmed by kindness wherever I’ve sourced assistance. The whole experience couldn’t have been more humbling.’
Coming from a family that always celebrated every big royal occasion Amanda wanted the caravan renovation in to be done in Diamond Jubilee style but without going all-out bold, block red, white and blue. ‘I really wanted to embrace the colours of our country, but in a more subtle way’.
The soft furnishings company Clarke and Clarke generously helped with some materials, and apart from the total interior refurbishment, the exterior needed work too. Amanda appreciated the need for ‘…skilled, patient craftsmen … inside and out, and at each juncture be prepared for further issues to arise, notwithstanding the constant associated difficulty in sourcing components for caravans that are no longer produced.’
Wisely, Amanda decided on more professional help from local photographer, Shaneen Rosewarne Cox, who shot the caravan on the farm, along with another of Amanda’s caravans. Simply propped with hay bales, vintage bicycles, and girls in 1950’s dresses, the pictures, with their relevance and inherent British were quickly noticed and picked up by Italian Vogue.
‘Millie’ now joins the troupe of other vintage caravans that Amanda owns as part of her vintage style glamping company Billy One Horn. They can be hired out for vintage themed hen parties, glamping, photo-shoots and retro holidays.
Instinct tells me that the combination of true British style, holidays at home, the year of the Jubilee and the newly found touch of glamour will bring even more people into the orbit of the stylish vintage rural life of Amanda & ‘Millie’ at Billy One Horn.
All images
Shaneen Rosewarne Cox
http://www.rosewarnecoxphotography.co.uk/
