There are moments when people and things find us. We don't look for them, we don't expect them — but we feel something in them resonate with us. As if they were already ours, in another time, in some other past that has yet to be discovered. It is here, between heritage and everyday life, that Pêle Mêle and Kragrlica meet.
The collaboration with Pêle Mêle came about quite naturally. One brand creates contemporary jewelry inspired by historical motifs, while the other owns an enviable collection of clothing and lifestyle items from the past that transcend the transitory nature of trends and possess a special value: they are a representation of the world as it was 50 or more years ago. Our jewelry pieces have found their ideal vintage context, styled with rare pieces from the Pêle Mêle collection. The result is photographs that intertwine the past and the present in a quirky way, but before we show the editorial, we decided to give a little more space to these passionate antique collectors and share their story with you.
Pêle Mêle is not just a virtual destination for all lovers of vintage pieces. It is an archaeology of everyday life, a thoughtful search for those things that have not lost their meaning even after many decades. It is a collection of hats with character, clothes, charming tablecloths, over a hundred-year-old majolica dishes that someone saved for special occasions, antiques, gramophone records, a set of uranium glass glasses that glow under ultraviolet light, old books and magazines, butterflies caught at the beginning of the last century, boxes full of painted love letters from a young man to his girlfriend, from the early 80s... All these things — taken out of the drawers of time — still exist and pulsate in the Pêle Mêle collection that Mia and Matt have been collecting for years. " Each piece would tell a hundred stories if it could, " Mia tells us with a sparkle in her eyes. We agree that, with all the advantages of modern times, antiques possess that “something” — an elusive but powerful thing, something that cannot be replaced by the new.
"The idea from the very beginning was for it to be our little world where everything we have great love and passion for would find its place," Mia tells us, who with her husband Matthew breathed life into the Pêle Mêle brand. Vintage clothing and antiques will certainly always occupy the largest part of it, but they also offer inspiration for interior design, vintage pieces that have been given new life through restoration and upcycling, and new handmade pieces inspired by times gone by are also planned, such as hats, fascinators, bags or jewelry.
When asked how it all began, she tells us: "All of my great loves were very fatalistic and happened at first sight, so it would be out of context if the same story didn't happen with vintage pieces. A few years after we fell in love with each other at first sight, we also fell in love with an apartment at first sight that became not only our home, but also a place that, as we decorated it and filled it with precious little things, increasingly inspired the Pêle Mêle world." The first jewel in her collection that made her start looking at vintage pieces with different eyes was a theatrical velvet coat, in a beautiful shade of moss, signed by the legendary Mirjana Marić. The attention to every detail and the craftsmanship itself are literally incredible and something that, she says, was not often seen even in her time, let alone today. Even though it was missing buttons, she was willing to pay a hundred times more for it than the thirty kuna it cost at the time. In Matt's wardrobe, they highlight a dirty pink New Romantics suit from the 80s and a collection of vintage wind-up watches, among which his favorite is an Omega from the 60s. In the years that followed, they came across a whole host of great vintage pieces, but the ones they singled out still haven't been dethroned.
Their hearts have always been beating faster when it comes to aesthetics, music and lifestyle from a bygone era. Even when they were much younger, they always listened to oldies music and chose retro pieces, but Mia admits that with age and experience she has learned that aesthetics are not the only thing that matters and that the value of authentic vintage pieces, apart from it, lies in the quality of the materials used, the craftsmanship of those who made them, and consequently their longevity. Her biggest weakness is majolica, colored glass, porcelain, hats, unique pieces of clothing and anything that is unusual in any way, while Matt is particularly weak on records, guitars, watches and old football jerseys, but he admitted to us that he too is not indifferent when he comes across a piece of clothing that is clear to him at first glance that it is special in the way that only pieces from a long time ago can be.
Dancing through life, on the same wavelength in terms of the aesthetics they want to be surrounded by, the music they choose as the soundtrack for their lives, but also all other life issues, for years, when their obligations and budget allow, they have been visiting flea markets, second-hand shops and antique fairs together, almost never returning empty-handed. Moreover, they usually do so with a full shopping trolley, a backpack, and often a couple of bags. They also found many precious pieces in charity shops in Matt's native England, and many of the treasures they found ended up in a display case with their favorite pieces. Whenever they had guests, the many interesting pieces were the main topic of conversation, and if she had just a penny for every time someone complimented her, commenting that she had excellent taste and an 'eye for detail', she tells us, it would be a considerable sum . "I would always joke that I would be the happiest if I could make a living from that talent, and little by little the idea just started to grow. When it took hold of me so much that I could no longer ignore it, everything fell into place and Pêle Mêle was born."
But the idea is for Pêle Mêle to develop as a space that brings together not only objects, but also people. " I would like our virtual corner of the universe to not only be a shopping destination, but over time to be recognized as a place where every lover of ancient times will be able to find something for themselves or at least be inspired by what they have seen," Mia wishes.
In an old copy of the magazine 'Svijet' from 1933, they found the name of their brand. And it fits the vision perfectly — quirky, nostalgic, smart. Pêle Mêle is a corner for all those who are not afraid to be different, for those who want to own, wear or experience something rare.
Together we shot an editorial in which our jewelry and Pêle Mêle vintage pieces create a quirky, yet classic story, the kind we could never get with objects from today. A vintage iron in a kitchen full of gilded brass items from flea markets, a camera and a cigar lighter from the 1950s are just some of the details that gave the photos a special vibe. And while we are finishing the blog, we casually consult with Mia about some little things, and she is preparing to visit the most famous flea market in Zagreb — you guessed which one. What else can I say about the love and enthusiasm that this magical vintage world possesses? There are countless stories here, but we have brought you the most important ones.
Editorial is a completely new topic, and you will read about this collaboration soon. Until then — an object will surely find you. Or an earring. Or a feeling. Visit the Pele Mele world and be inspired by their stories.
