Vien is the fashionable creation of Vivienne Bartholomew - who lives in a leafy area of Upper Norwood. "I love living there," she says with a smile. "The gatehouse I live in was built in 1864 and is close to what used to be Beulah Spa - an old haunt of the Royal Family."
Vivienne's passion for the past is clear and this is shown, not just in her choice of home, but in the unusual pieces of clothing that fill her small shop to bursting - from customised bolero jackets to sparkly clutch bags.
Wandering in from the chill, visitors can find something different with the feeling that it was handpicked especially for them.
And handpicked it was. Vivienne has a well-trained eye having ignited her love affair with vintage back in the 60s when she had a stall on the Kings Road: "I've always been interested in vintage and would always try and find the alternatives - whether it be at Carnaby Street or Portobello. I also used to love spending time at a little leather market in Bute Street."
Visitors to Crystal Palace however, will know that they no longer need to go into town for quality vintage - they can simply enjoy a leisurely afternoon browsing the shops in the triangle, stopping off for a coffee along the way. So it comes as no surprise that Vivienne chose the area for her first shop.
"There's an energy here, which for me as a shopkeeper is exciting. And it's great to see young people supporting a small business. Since I opened people from nearby pubs and restaurants have come to support me - it's a great community. They come in and say 'I love your shop and I'll let people know you are here'."
Pass the shop at the weekend and you'll see it's as full of people as it is clothes, and they all have just one thing in common - they want to find something that no one else has got.
Much of Vivienne's stock comes from further afield (across the pond to be exact) so don't be surprised if you find a little pastel prom dress that looks as if it wouldn't be out of place in a classic 1960's American movie.
These clothes arrive at Vien in sealed barrels from a warehouse in California and like Forest Gump's box of chocolates, "you never know what you're gonna get".
"It's like a lucky dip for vintage fashion lovers," says Vivienne. Some items she might customise, others (like a few dresses I spotted) have such a unique feel that they are left as they are for someone to discover.
But what if the fabric is striking but the cut isn't? Vivienne has the solution - she might make one item into several eye-catching accessories or trim an existing skirt with a shock of psychedelic fabric.
"Nothing is wasted," she says, and this could be her motto - it's an ethic she's been sure to pass on to her children and her customers too.
"Vintage is good for society, it teaches people to look after their property and it makes them more conscious of what they buy, which I feel, in turn, makes them a better being. This generation is realising that there is an alternative. They are looking at how things are made - there's an awareness which is really encouraging," she concludes.
So if you'd like to find something unique to wear, take a trip down memory lane - Church Street to be precise - and you might just find gold in the treasure chest.
87 Church Road SE19 2TA; 020 8653 6943
Copywrite Living South reproduced with permission
