STYLE MUSE | Allison Eng, Illustrator & Artist

I've always admired Allison's style. You can catch her as part of the team at one of Vancouver's most coveted boutiques, One of a Few. With a penchant for vintage fashion, I sat down with Allison to understand her relationship with sustainable fashion.

Q: How does fashion inspire your art?

I love illustrating portraits and a lot of my work features the characters in funky clothes - stuff I would wear. As a Chinese-born-Canadian, my cultural heritage heavily influences my work. I take influence from historical characteristics of South East Asian artwork, like Chinese scroll paintings or Japanese ukiyo-e prints. Ultimately, I hope my Western and Eastern cultures translate together in the work that I do.

Q: Why do you choose secondhand?

There are many unique pieces! It’s like a treasure hunt. I also love the fit of older clothing, I find them to be more tailored than contemporary clothes and they’re made to last. It’s better for the environment and gives a second life to pre-loved pieces. 

Q: What is your most coveted secondhand piece?

A pair of black, straight leg vintage Gucci jeans. Fits like a glove and I wear them all the time.

Q: Where do you see the fashion industry heading?

A lot more young people are shopping secondhand now because they’re more conscious in taking care of the environment, and that there’s sooo many good finds that suits many distinct styles. It’s more affordable to shop secondhand, rather than buying fast fashion or new clothing. So, I think the trend of buying secondhand will definitely stay for a while. Also, people seem really nostalgic for different eras of fashion now, like Y2K or 90s looks, which is easy to achieve when you shop vintage/pre loved clothing. A lot of new and mature brands are going the eco friendly route too which is great! 

Q: What fashion lessons do you want to leave for future generations?

A good rule of thumb I follow is to have 20% trendy stuff and 80% timeless pieces. Your closet will last longer and it helps build your personal style to have a mix of trendy/staple items. Also learn how to mend and tailor your clothes! It really helps with saving money by not throwing away your clothes when they have wear and tear (which all clothing will have eventually) and gives longevity to your pieces. Collect items that you see yourself wearing in the next 5 years.