This time around, we would like to introduce you to a young lady called a called Sarah Griffin. Sarah is a spoken word performer, writer in residence and published poet. Her first book of poetry, Follies, was published last year. She is also used to be one of the organisers of 'Scarleh for yer Ma fer havin' yeh', a Dublin cringe event where people take turns to read out extracts from their teenage diaries. Firstly could you tell us a little about yourself?
I am remarkably bad at this part of proceedings - I’m a performance poet by night and a creative writing teacher by day and a writer of lots of different things. My first collection of poetry was published last year and I’ve gigged all around Ireland , and in New York San Francisco
How would you describe your style and what do you typically wear on a normal day?
How would you describe your style and what do you typically wear on a normal day?
I was only thinking about this last week, my pal Dave told me I looked like the Tom Baker era Dr.Who. Timelord-chic. I got pondering about it and figured I sort of go for a Mary Poppins sort of thing. Maybe if Mary Poppins and Garth from Wayne
My standard daily outfit is a knee to calf length skirt or dress, usually in black or stonewash grey, a tartan or seersucker shirt, black tights, brown leather ankle boots, large cardigan and a big scarf. Tortoiseshell glasses and a pair of my grandmother’s gaudy clip on earrings, with hair an absolute thunderstorm of a mess. I own one jacket, which is the same colour as my boots: you know, that camel sort of brown colour? I’m kind of fussy about my coat always matching my shoes, but this is handy, because I’ve only got one coat which just so happens to match all of my shoes. My colour palette is browns, earthy reds, blacks, greys and deep blues. I’m one of those awful people who will buy like three of the same frock or pair of shoes just so they don’t have to deviate from a style they’re comfortable with. I’m not really an extrovert, fashion-wise: for me the magic is in the details.
If you could have anyone’s wardrobe and its content in the world, who would it be?
If you could have anyone’s wardrobe and its content in the world, who would it be?
Can this person be fictional? Marla Singer, from Fight Club. She’s ultra scruff-chic. Ladylike though, regardless. In real life that’s such a tough question. Probably my grandmother, if it’s a real life thing. She has an endless, endless wardrobe full of incredible things.
What to you makes vintage so desirable?
For me it’s the idea that there’s a history in the item: like, this thing has lived and been in the company of another person. It has been chosen before, worn before, read before. I might be thinking a bit too big about it but I like the idea that items can connect people’s lives and narratives together. I wouldn’t class myself as a hugely materialistic person but I do like the idea that people can be connected by passing objects on through time. I know that sounds absolutely mental - I mean I think vintage things are pretty too, I do like the aesthetic of things from other times. But if I’m being honest, I’m drawn to old things because they seem to possess more life than new things.
What is your favourite I can’t believe it’s not vintage piece in your possession?
My Debs dress. It was a little cream lace mini-dress shift thing, absolutely stunning. I was thrilled with it, it looked like something off of Twiggy’s back. Given I most certainly did not look like Twiggy in it, even though I argued with a hairdresser the day of the Debs because she wouldn’t put my hair in a beehive. Best thing about it is that it was 80 euro in Miss Selfridge. Absolute steal city, like. Given, when I finally changed out of my high heels (the only pair I owned at the time, cream bridal ones from Office with a big bow at the front) and into my cream pumps, I looked bit like a fancy tennis player.
Years later I dyed it navy blue, because I wanted to wear it again. It doesn’t fit so well at the moment, but I’ll be keeping it regardless.
What has been your best bargain buy - when/where/how much – Dish girl! Dish!
I was at an amazing Oxfam Jumble Sale in The Workmans Club, just before the most recent Literary Deathmatch and I bought this amazing navy hat for five euro. It’s somewhere between a hat and a fascinator, more realistically. I love it. It’s most definitely vintage, but there’s no tag on it to say where from and when. It’s a little bashed too: definitely has seen some adventures. All this, and it matches my dyed debs dress perfectly. I will be wearing this ensemble to every wedding I am invited to for the next ten years.
Aside from this I have a particularly brilliant coffee table I bought at the Dublin Flea last year. It’s got silver, turquoise and yellow patterned tiles on its surface. Definitely seventies, and probably my favourite ugly thing in the world.
Do you ever feel you were born in the wrong era?
Yes and no. This is another one of those thoughtful questions that I shouldn’t really answer in depth for fear of boring the tears out of the lovely readers of this blog! On the yes side, I mean I’ve obviously fantasised about getting hammered drunk and talking about writing with F.Scott Fitzgerald at one of those lavish and excessive parties that only really could happen in the 1920s. But on the no side, I’m so constantly fascinated by the post-modernity of the age we live in, and the freedom with which we can access information. I’m thankful for that. So I think, while I often feel a certain level of frustration at homogenised, style-less Ikea-living, I think it’s worth it. I’d rather fantasise about other eras and collect vintage odds and ends in 2012 than be oppressed, politically unequal and probably dying from TB in 1920.
Yes and no. This is another one of those thoughtful questions that I shouldn’t really answer in depth for fear of boring the tears out of the lovely readers of this blog! On the yes side, I mean I’ve obviously fantasised about getting hammered drunk and talking about writing with F.Scott Fitzgerald at one of those lavish and excessive parties that only really could happen in the 1920s. But on the no side, I’m so constantly fascinated by the post-modernity of the age we live in, and the freedom with which we can access information. I’m thankful for that. So I think, while I often feel a certain level of frustration at homogenised, style-less Ikea-living, I think it’s worth it. I’d rather fantasise about other eras and collect vintage odds and ends in 2012 than be oppressed, politically unequal and probably dying from TB in 1920.
How did you first become interested in vintage clothing and the good old days?
I mentioned my grandmother in an answer above. She was a dressmaker in a factory in her teens, so has all these amazing dresses and outfits in her house. She minded me a lot as a kid, so I spent a great deal of time dressing up in these old outfits and categorizing her clip-on earrings and running around in pantomime costumes - so I think it’s been a life-long affair really more than anything else. She is a jazz singer and always has been, so I wasn’t reared on MTV and Smash Hits - I had video cassettes of MGM musicals instead and big old records of the Rat Pack.
What would your ideal night entail…
Cooking a big, badass dinner, drinking half a bottle of Gallo Family Rosé, and playing Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo until 4 in the morning with the man himself. Does playing video games from your childhood count as a vintage pastime? It should.
Who would you invite to your fantasy tea party(real, historical or fictional)?
Oh Jesus, time to show my nerd-colours. Douglas Adams. Vivienne Westwood. Can Marla Singer come too, considering I just stole her wardrobe? Least I owe her is a cup of tea. Sherlock Holmes as well. I’m trying to plan this, like a wedding table, so everyone’d get on and have things to talk about, this is very hard. Wendy Cope, she’d probably get on great with Douglas . Ok, so Wendy can take care of Douglas and Marla and Viv can have the chats too, I’d say they’d have lots of talk about. Oh, oh Fox Mulder from the X-Files. Him and Sherlock would probably have lots in common. Last two would be Woody Allen and Oscar Wilde, they’d be sure to bring the banter. Ok, all awkward silence possibilities resolved: that’s my table. I’d be able to mingle happily then.
Do you have a favourite quote?
Too many to name, but if I had to choose one:
Too many to name, but if I had to choose one:
“The heart is a very, very resilient little muscle.”
- Woody Allen, Hannah and her Sisters
If you had to pass on one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t panic.
Before we finish, tell us something random about yourself.
I typed around four answers to this question and deleted all of them because they were all really strange so I’ll settle for something relatively normal. Earlier, I looked across my old bedroom (I’m in my parents house this evening) and realised my old corduroy jacket was still in tact. That jacket saw many great nights, and was with me through some important times. It also just happens to be the same colour as my other jacket, and my three pairs of boots. Delighted. I am now wearing it over my pyjamas.
Sarah can be found on Twitter under @griffski or if you'd like to check out some of her work visit her blog http://wordfury.blogspot.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Cv6zjlagc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8OGoqovmy4
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