Today we meet Rebecca of the imaginatively named business Green Scarf Girl. Her first love is hair and makeup, and she combines this with a cute little store where you can browse the many vintage items, while waiting for your beauty appointment. The shop concept is based on the 1960’s salon, with mini high tea’s being served while the bride is having her hair and makeup trial. It all sounds so cosy and if you love vintage style then this is the place to go for old fashioned hospitality and pretty old fashioned treasures.
Cute name – why the ‘green scarf’?
Well it came from the movie ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’. I saw the film when I was looking for a business name and it was one of those light bulb moments, I could really relate to her character in the film and thought that most women would as well. Her name also happened to be Rebecca so I kind of just felt like it fit. Funny story when I was getting my store ready I had the window all blacked out with cute wrapping paper so people couldn’t see in and I could hear people walking past saying ‘who is the girl in the green scarf? What does she do? Will she wear a green scarf every day?’ It was such fun I would sit inside and chuckle to myself. When I picked the name I never imagined that it could take on such a life of it’s own. It was a really amazing experience. And yes I wear a green scarf every day, luckily I love green and scarves and have quite a collection now and still have people come into the store just to check that I’m wearing a green scarf.
Image by Love Katie and Sarah
How and when did you decide to follow this creative path?
I guess without realizing I set out on a path of change in my early 30’s and left Sydney for Melbourne. I needed a change in my life and what I found was self discovery and an eclectic creative girl that was always dying to get out! Melbourne just allowed me to be more me outside the square creatively. I had been a hairdresser straight from high school and can’t remember a time that I didn’t want to be a hairdresser. I started doing vintage styling in the early 1990’s but it wasn’t until I made the move to Melbourne that my Vintage Styling really found it’s own style and voice. In the meantime I worked in Retail and got my experience in front house running a store. The next piece in the puzzle came on a visit to Sydney when I had high tea at T2 with my sister, such fun and not expensive. That gave me the idea to combine the salon and the shop together,with a high tea experience. I thought this would be the such and amazing thing to do with your bridesmaids. It was a gem! It’s funny how you need so many elements to come together for a good idea to work! Well I hit the ideas board again and researched salon in the 50’s and 60’s and there was born my concept. In the 60’s they put a wall or divider up in the salon and divided the space and introduced a large reception desk where they started to sell gloves and a few other item. And the area was also used as a waiting room. It took me about two years to find a space but I had my eye on the place I’m in now and finally got it and have been here for two years. I think I was just meant to be here all along. And as far as I know I am the only concept store like it of it’s kind.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Some hard to hear words from my sister at the time from younger sister who always gives great advice. When I opened my shop she said to me, “Rebecca it’s only a job” and those words cut straight to my heart because I do everything at 150% and I pour my heart and soul into my store – but they have been the best words of advice. There is a very fine line when you have a business that you are very passionate about and that you hand pick treasures for in quirky places, not to get taken over by your business. And at the end of the day it is a job and you do need to make time for a life as well, for friends, for family it’s really important – oh and don’t forget you! She is a very smart woman and is a person I listen to and go to when I need a good outside opinion. I think it’s really important to have friends and family in your life like that, I am blessed because I also have a very close friend who is also equally as good for me in this regard and I don’t know where I would be without both of them.
Image of Tom and Erin by Tiny Sparrows Photography(hair and makeup by Rebecca)
You have several arms to your business –
Wedding hair and makeup
I specialize in vintage inspired hair and makeup. I have been in the industry for over 20 years and just love weddings. I believe that a bride should be her most glamorous version of herself on her wedding day so my style is very feminine and natural but with enough done that you look amazing all day long. My beautiful styling room is the perfect place to relax and enjoy your wedding trial and high tea. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate this rite of wedding preparation with your friends.
Vintage Hire
Born from my love of Vintage and Weddings we offer Vintage, Up-cycled, and Rustic eclectic items for hire. Our range of high quality vintage props can hire for Weddings, Garden parties, events and photo shoots. We are always adding to this range.
Image by Love Katie and Sarah
Love and Sugar Candles
Love and Sugar Candles was born out of my love of vintage glassware , teacups and candles but I also was looking for a brand that was chemical free that didn’t give me headaches.. This has led to me making my very own brand of hand poured soy candles.
Our scented range is fragrance oil based. These are synthetic in substance in that they are not formulated directly from plant origin. Having said this, many fragrance oils do contain a high percentage of essential oils. Great news – NO headaches so if you have had problems in the past why not try these 100% chemical free candles.
Shop
This is a unique concept store based on a 1960’s salon with the waiting room in the front of the store. I sell beautiful handpicked vintage and new home wares, sleepwear, giftware. It’s been described as like going to Grandma’s house. It’s quaint and quiet and full of treasures.
Image by Love Katie and Sarah
What is your core business?
My wedding hair and makeup is definitely my core business although my gift store has grown at such a quick rate due to the amazing support of my local customers. But weddings are where my true passion lies and where I get my creative satisfaction. To me hair is my art. I could definitely not live without doing hairstyling – it’s what I live for and weddings is really where I get to explore that type of art. I can’t say setting up this type of salon hasn’t had it challenges. As most Saturdays I am not in the salon but out on the road making brides beautiful, so to most it would seem a little that bit of a waste to have this salon and it sometimes sits empty. The ones this has affected the most are my local clients as it is really hard to get to see me as I’m quite often booked! This is something I have yet to master! But then when I am in the shop doing the wedding trials and working my magic in the salon the shop is so a buzz and the locals love it! It looks so pretty too with the high tea.. and people really get it then, hey it’s just not your typical salon! But the
locals love it they bring their friends in and give them a ‘tour’ and say now that’s where she does wedding trials and makeup lessons and serves high tea, I couldn’t ask for more – I love it! The thing that is so beautiful about Flemington is it’s such a village atmosphere where you know your locals and they also support local businesses and love unique business. I have been blessed with beautiful clients and customers with both sides of my business but I can truly say my store is perfectly right where it is on Pin Oak Crescent.
What do you love about your businesses?
I love so many things about my business. I love that in so many ways I get to make peoples’ days a little bit better from my little ‘A’ frame sign that sits outside my shop where I put my quote for the day. Some of the interactions, make me smile. I love watching people come into my store and be reminded of their childhood or a happy time and them sharing that with me, that is so special. People also get to take a breath in my store, they get to stop for a minute and I see it and I know my job is done and that is a great feeling. Life is so fast paced – we don’t stop anymore and it’s so nice to stop and ‘just be’ and invest in people. I also it love when people come back and tell me how much their friends loved their gifts. They have such joy on their faces too and it make me happy to know all of my hunting is well worth it. And lastly my wedding clients – wow what an amazing job I have, I love the stories of how they got together – some are so cute. I love designing a hairstyle to suit a person and her gown and I love the words ‘ it’s everything I wanted but didn’t know I wanted’. I love that! I love sharing that special part of the morning with a bride that not many get to see, her getting ready time, it’s so special and to be there to make her day go calmly, I just love.
I think that I have the best job in the world.
Image by Love Katie and Sarah
You seem to love vintage things, use soy wax for your candles, weddings – what does this say about you as a person?
It says that I am a hopeless romantic, and a very sensitive person. I love to see the good in everything and have been this way from a young age. As the little girl I loved beautiful things. I remember getting my first teacup I think I was about 9 years old – it was a ‘Queen Anne’ and I loved it. I thought it was the prettiest thing ever. I loved chandeliers and hunting for treasures much to my mum’s dismay. She didn’t really get my love of pretty and old things, still doesn’t really! I also love happy endings, I would sit and wait at the end of a movie thinking ‘no he is going to come back for her’. Sometimes he didn’t come back.. I think that’s why I love weddings so much. It’s that hopeless romantic inside of me, it is happily ever after.. at the wedding.
Image by Love Katie and Sarah
What is a favourite makeup/hair look you are doing for weddings at the moment?
At the moment my makeup looks are more on the soft browns with bronze and gold tones with a smoky sultry look – just beautiful, I’m really loving that look. With hair I am seeing a lot of 20-30’s looks coming back in but I am moving away from finger waves as they really don’t suit very many people as they are quite a strong look, so I’m doing soft versions of this styling both in up do’s and down styles.
What do you love doing in your spare time?
Funnily I love hunting for new treasures..silly I know, but it’s so fun! Catching up with friends, brunch at a café. And a good DVD, wine & pizza on my lounge with my cute cat Poppy, she also loves me being home.
Where is your shop located? Please describe it to us and why it is different.
I own a unique concept store in Flemington, Melbourne, based on a 1960s salon (complete with waiting room in the front of the store!). I sell beautiful handpicked homewares, accessories and sleepwear which are both new and vintage. In the salon we specialise in wedding and special occasion hair and makeup. For wedding trials I serve a ‘mini high tea’ for the whole bridal party to enjoy while the bride gets her hair and makeup done. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate this rite of wedding preparation with your friends.
Thank you so much Rebecca for sharing your gorgeous businesses with us. You are surely one talented lady! To find out more about Rebecca please visit her website.
Headshot image by Love Katie and Sarah
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