Hoolie-hah

WORDS: Remy Raitt

Online vintage shops are popping up all over the country. The latest addition is Cape Town-based Hoolie-hah, launched late last month. Owner Lorelle Bell sells vintage homeware and other period gems.

A design writer by trade, Lorelle says she’s always secretly dreamt of trading in vintage and local design part time. “Mainly to fund my vintage habit, and love of design,” she says, “and because there are only so many anglepoise lamps one family can actually use.”

“I’ve loved twentieth century design – particularly furniture from the mid century – for a long time and continue to collect pieces. In recent years I’ve also collected kitchenware – appliances, tableware, enamel, glassware and even Tupperware,” she says.

She eventually decided to start the online shop, which originally traded through a Facebook page, when she made the conscious decision to “remind myself to remain open to simple things that amuse me and ignite my curiosity… I decided to put together a range of bags and homeware I’d collected and was continuing to find, and to offer them for sale.”

VISI spoke to Lorelle to find out a little bit more about Hoolie-hah, which works under the phrase “loving design… living vintage local handmade gorgeous”.

Why online?
It’s an ideal way for me to trade. I spend my days writing and have no desire to have a shop front. Being online allows you to reach more people and a targeted audience. Hopefully shopping online here will grow.

Do you only sell locally?
For now, I’ve limited it to Cape Town collections really. So the short answer is ‘yes’.  

How has the response to Hoolie-hah been?
The response has been very good for the short time that I’ve been online and given that I don’t have an enormous amount of time to spend on it. It seems like local designers and dealers are following the shop and sourcing items from me.

Where do you source the items you sell?
I love trawling markets, thrift stores, second-hand shops and some of the smaller vintage outlets.

What items do you sell, is there a particular focus on home ware or do you branch out further into fashion etc?
I started with more clothing and bags – to generate interest, sales and a response from younger people. I have teenage sons and my eldest one loves old leather satchels and worn cardigans and jerseys (much like I did when I was still at school, I hate to remind him). But I’d like to do mainly home ware, perhaps some furniture and also vintage leather.

What are your views on upcycling? Why have you joined the ranks?
I’ve always liked recycling pieces and using them for different purposes. I like some of the upcycling I’ve seen, like the sleek Scandinavian-style sideboards and desks, with painted drawers. But I don’t like things that are too gimmicky and that one would get tired of quickly. I’m trying to encourage our sons to appreciate things that have been well made and whose styles have become classics. I think this is a good time to reflect on responsible consumption and to choose to buy things that don’t become obsolete quickly because they’ve been badly designed or made. I’d also like to promote local designers whose work tends to be under-appreciated by local consumers.

More information: http://hooliehahtheshop.wordpress.com, lorellebell@gmail.com