NORTHAMPTON — Walkers strolling about town on Saturday may have heard the fuzzed-out, overdriven, ominous guitar chords of Link Wray’s 1958 classic, “Rumble,” and, for those intrepid enough, it led them to a treasure chest full of vintage goods.
Dozens of people thumbed through boxes of records, perused racks of colorful clothing, and hunted for the perfect antique behind Thorne’s Marketplace at the fifth annual Retrofaire Open Air Market, hosted by the Northampton Arts Council, on a cool and cloudy Saturday afternoon.
Sitting in a lawn chair in front of her booth, sipping on a Polar seltzer and wearing a black-and-white flannel over a red turtleneck sweater, Megha Amirra, owner of Vapour City Vintage, greeted passers-by and customers alike with a friendly smile.
Amirra’s first foray as a vintage clothing dealer took place in that exact same spot five years ago as part of the first ever Retrofaire. After years of “thrifting,” and with experience selling newer clothing on eBay, she decided she wanted to participate in the open-air market by bringing vintage clothing to sell. She opened her own shop a year ago, and sells out of the Vintage Cellar on Bridge Street.
“I find these days I sell a lot of 1990s stuff,” Amirra said. “To older people, that doesn’t really seem vintage, but that is actually what is really on trend right now.”
She noted that she mostly carries women’s clothing as she tends to find more “interesting” items for women than men when out hunting at thrift stores. Among her collection were: a black floral dress with little roses, overalls made from jean and khaki and a ‘90s black-and-white plaid jumper.
“Nineties clothing is what I wore when I was a teenager in high-school so it’s really nostalgic for me,” Amirra said. “Its really wearable, too; it’s not as out there as the ‘80s, for example.”
Peter McQuillan, of the arts council and co-organizer, said proceeds from the event benefit the organization’s BJ Goodwin Grant, which helps Northampton-based artists, writers and organizations to travel and export their art.
“It’s about taking the best of Northampton and bringing it other places,” McQuillan said. Currently, the arts council is accepting applications for the fall 2018 grant round with a deadline of Oct. 15.
The open-air market featured 15 vendors of art, vinyl records, and fashionable clothing. The arts council president, George Myers, was responsible for the day’s soundtrack as DJ.
Shawna Rohan, of Easthampton, has been making pottery for the past four years, and the Retrofaire was her first art show in Northampton.
Her booth was filled with arched mugs with hand-built handles, large bowls, and hanging planters that she crafted in her home studio.
“I want you to really feel the texture of the clay,” said Rohan, who added she enjoys making her own glazes and adding unique patterns to her work.
“In a lot of ways, when I am making, I try to remember to stay in the moment and in my practice and to give each piece some life,” Rohan said. This is especially true when she is making a lot of smaller scale items at once, she said.
She gets orders from wholesale clients, and she’ll make up to 100 pieces at a time, but she said she still wants to add those extra details to make them personal. When throwing clay on the wheel, she uses different carving and pinching techniques to include those nuances in her work.
“I want my pottery to feel down to Earth at the end of the day,” Rohan said. “A little decadent — nothing too pristine or too clean.”
Luis Fieldman can be reached at lfieldman@gazettenet.com