Fashion from wardrobe to Glory Box shop
Most women love clothes, but not as much as Annie Sullivan, owner of The Glory Box in Linden.
She opened her shop last July after running out of room to store the clothing, accessories and bed linen she has been collecting since she was a teenager.
‘‘My wardrobe has been chocka, waiting for the moment that I could wear everything,’’ she said.
‘‘Mum would come into my house and she’d go, ‘Oh God, look at all this. You need to open your own shop’.’’
Miss Sullivan remembers the first piece of clothing she bought.
‘‘The first dress I bought was in Today’s Girl in Tawa. It was $275.95. My first wages were $58.16 a week.’’
She grew up in Titahi Bay with a mother who was a qualified seamstress.
‘‘Mum was wonderfully gifted and creative. She was always immaculately dressed,’’ she said. ‘‘I remember going off to a fancy dress party. I had a sister who went as Tinkerbell, my older sister went as a Spanish dancer, my brother was Pete the Pirate and I went as Little Bo Peep.there were six of us kids [and] Mum made all those outfits.’’
Miss Sullivan went into her first op shop when she was 16.
‘‘I always loved to find little treasures in op shops because they were different.’’
When she was 17 she found her first interior design book by Laura Ashley in an op shop.
It inspired her love of linen as well as clothing and accessories. ‘‘I loved pretty lace bows, ginghams and flowers. ‘‘I idolised Stevie Nicks from the band Fleetwood Mac: her leather and lace dresses, skirts and waistcoats.
‘‘Mum often said to me I was born in the wrong era. I loved watching the old movies, the corsets, long hoop skirts, gloves, exquisite lace, amazing ringlets – all balls and high tea parties.’’
She went into nursing after leaving Bishop Viard College. Three years ago she stopped nursing to get into retail. Miss Sullivan has been joined at The Glory Box by dressmaker Wendy Howard. They are planning a dress-up party for the shop on March 4 from 11am. Cupcakes and grape juice will be provided and all clothing will be discounted 40 per cent.
For information, call Annie Sullivan, 232 8028, or visit The Glory Box in Collins Ave, Linden.