FACILTIES FRIDAY: BRINGING STYLE TO THE SCREEN

We spotlight Christine Clarke and behind Bijou & Vintage, a one‑woman costume supplier whose work –including for the recently released Netflix drama Run Away – has shaped the style of major productions across the Northwest and beyond. 

Bijou & Vintage’s journey began in Cains Brewery, where she opened a boutique in what had once been the Victorian reception room – “filled with Victorian panel walls and Victorian chandeliers, it really was a perfect backdrop for a vintage boutique.” Alongside her friend, she was a key source of ignition for the bohemian identity that still runs though the Baltic Triangle today. After five years, COVID pushed the business into a new phase: “We moved and into a unit… the business took a different direction, really hitting the TV and film world.”

Her screen career had already begun however, supplying Call the Midwife for “six or seven seasons,” and building connection in the industry through supplying high‑end London vintage fairs. Those relationships led her to titles filmed in the region including Funny Woman, Archie, Fantastic Beasts, Timewasters, Tin Star (which filmed inside her boutique), and upcoming Manchester productions TipToe and Carol Morley’s Seven Miles Out. Her stock ranges from the 1880s to contemporary menswear, making her a versatile resource for designers across genres.

What drives Christine is character. “Every production is fascinating because I love to get into the characters and understand the costume designer’s vision. What someone is wearing can tell you so much about who they are.” No two collaborations are the same. “Each costume designer interprets a decade or style differently… you’re learning and sharing at the same time. I share my knowledge, but I also learn from them too.”

Authenticity sits at the core of the B&V brand. “I buy predominantly from private collections so I can maintain quality, condition and authenticity, that’s my mantra.” Those collections often come with personal histories, which she treasures. “When the owners tell you the stories behind the occasions they wore these things… it’s wonderful. I can pass that on to costume designers. It’s not just clothing, they have stories, and when someone else buys them, that adds to the story. It’s Magic!”

Vintage has been part of Christine’s identity since she was a teenager inspired by classic Hollywood and the music of the 70s – “I never followed fashion just for the sake of following fashion.” After the 2007 financial crash pushed her away from two decades in banking, she returned to her passion, running fairs across the region before settling into the Baltic boutique and then carving out her niche in the production industry.

As well as quality and authenticity, sustainability has always been an anchor for Christine’s work with Bijou & Vintage. “That’s my absolute passion. I’ve been banging the vintage drum from a sustainable point of view since I was a teenager.” With BAFTA albert accreditation, she continues to champion circularity and encourage productions to use vintage and pre-owned. “There are a zillion garments already on the planet, we don’t need to churn out tonnes more.”

And the best-dressed film of all time? “There’s too many! But I’d have to go with a Marilyn Monroe one… maybe Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

With decades of passion, a vast knowledge of fashion history, and a commitment to sustainability long before it became an industry focus, Bijou and Vintage brings narrative, authenticity and a sense of character to every production it styles.

Learn more about Bijou & Vintage my heading to their website here ➡️ https://www.bijouandvintage.com/