Rachael Coutts resells clothing with the same care and devotion as someone who rehomes kittens. Her primary concern when a beloved item from her shop is sold is whether it went to a good home. ‘We’ve got real emotional investment in this stuff,’ she admits. ‘It’s completely my passion.’ The owner of Carnivàle Vintage opened her flagship store on Bread Street in 2016 before recently launching a second location on Albert Place. Coutts sources a wide range of pre-loved clothing and accessories mostly dating from the 1940s to 1970s, with some special pieces from as far back as 1835. 

A glimpse inside a Carnivàle store (or a browse of its website) reveals a great selection of dresses, often sporting lace, frills or a fun collar. ‘I can’t have stuff in the shop that I don’t personally love,’ says Coutts. ‘I’m literally picking it from the public so if I like someone’s wardrobe, I’ll buy everything.’ While her personal taste fuels the majority of items she displays in-store, Coutts’ social-media savvy colleagues keep her in the loop on what decades are gaining popularity online.

‘My employees will drag me into Y2K fashion because that’s trending right now,’ she explains. ‘We had a window display about the year 2007 and I was like “stop! At 41 years old, that’s my youth!”’ The timelessness of vintage style, regardless of passing trends, is why Coutts is so passionate about her work. ‘I’m very aware that my personal style, like 30s and 50s vintage, is not the “in” vintage at the minute. But that’s the point. You can be on trend or you can completely do your own thing.’

Carnivàle Vintage, 21–22 Albert Place, Edinburgh; check out Carnivàle’s Instagram.