For our first Avirex blog guest we caught up with Joe Moyle to chat about all things vintage. Joe is the owner of vintage business 1036 Emporium located in London. For the launch of our EU website and pop-up shop we’ve featured a range of 1036 Emporium’s Avirex vintage jackets that are available both online and in store. Check out what Joe had to say about Avirex, the vintage industry, and of course all things fashion…
How did you discover Avirex, what drew you towards the brand and its vintage items?
I was born in 2001 so I wasn’t around for when Avirex first popped off, as I got older, I turned into a huge Biggie fan & I think I first saw an Avirex jacket in the iconic pic of him in the SUV with the red goalers jacket on. After that I started exploring it’s influence on UK culture and been hooked ever since.
Have you always had an interest in vintage fashion?
Ever since I was a young teenager, me and a lot of my mates started picking up second-hand pieces from Ebay & charity shops. My main interest back then was vintage Italian designer such as Prada, Dolce, Moschino etc, brands & pieces which I still wear now. This is how 1036 started for me, copping steals off Ebay and selling them on Depop when I didn’t want it anymore or needed money for the next piece in the collection, and it grew from there! I am very lucky to do what I’m interested in & passionate about as my job.
Talk us through the process of when you first find a vintage item to getting it into your store?
Firstly, I authenticate the item. Then check the condition of the piece, looking for tears & stains. If it’s good, it’ll then be taken to the office to be photographed & uploaded.
How do you authenticate your vintage items?
Inside labels & stitching is usually the first giveaway. If there are any misprints, untidy stitching etc it’s most likely inauthentic. When I’m still unsure I usually put pictures of the piece in reddit & Facebook groups as these are very helpful for authenticating.
Why do you think it’s important to shop ‘pre-loved’ clothing?
I think it’s important to shop second hand because of the huge variety of pieces that have been released over the years and there’s so much more versatility to add to your style when shopping preloved compared to only shopping new. Second-hand pieces have a lot more character & stories to them as well. Personally, I think the best clothes were made in the 90s & early 00s, but I am a vintage seller so may be biased haha. It is also clear that even shopping second hand is a huge positive for the environment, so I’m gassed to see more and more people shopping preloved. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next ten years will entail for our generation and second-hand fashion.
What’s one Avirex vintage jacket you’d love to be able to get your hands on?
It would have to be the baby blue and navy stallion’s varsity jacket as I already have the red & yellow colour ways so would complete the trio. It would also be getting the navy & baby blue New York dragons’ jacket back as I regret selling that to this day haha!
How do you style your Avirex vintage jackets?
Personally, I would style it with a baggy pair of jeans such as big bois & a bulky shoe like a pair of 95’s, foamposites or Osiris D3s. Recently, I have been into 90s/early 00s Jordan polyester warm up tracksuits & I think the bottoms go super nice with the right Avi.
What has been your favourite Avirex jacket so far?
For jackets I have sold it has be a toss-up between the New York dragons in baby blue & navy or the N.Y Blade black & grey jacket. My favourite one from my collection is my red & black stallions varsity jacket. I am a huge fan of the two tone Avirex jackets as they just look so clean.
How do you take care of your leather jackets?
I use Saphir leather cleanser to clean and bring jackets back to life and make the colour pop again. Safe storage is vital as well, I’ve seen some nightmares where people have stored them over radiators and so on and grails have been ruined. The majority of jackets I get in are in great condition already, so it’s not always needed.
Tell us about your online store – where can we find you?
You can find us on our Instagram @1036emporium & our website 1036emporium.com. We also do pop ups which are announced on our IG. I have recently moved into a studio space too where I’ll be taking appointments for people to come have a browse and try some pieces on.
What can we expect to see from your store in the future?
You can expect to see more pop ups, more grails, and some styling work for music artists etc. We are in the process of planning a pop-up party with Redbull & my boys over at Decisive Sounds which I am gassed for. Also, more collabs with more sick brands like Avirex fingers crossed!
Big thank you to Joe for taking part in this month’s feature, don’t forget to check out his website at 1036emporium.com
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