Every piece tells a story, says Albury mum Emma Jensen, who has helped a friend sort through a lifetime of memories to start up the Albury-based online Perpetual Vintage venture. Photo: Supplied.
They were never meant to be forgotten.
Every piece told a story – of a lifetime of fashion, memories, and moments.
It was, after all, the mid-’90s, and a high-flying corporate powerhouse was living her best life in London.
Think tailored suits, designer bags and heels, long-haul flights, and even longer work weeks. Through it all, she held on to one enduring joy: collecting beautiful things.
She coveted and collected those gems; timeless designer pieces, and little treasures from every corner of the world – each one stitched with meaning and memory.
There were dresses worn to opening nights. Heels that walked the streets of Paris and New York. Scarves found on Portobello Road.
Perfumes still scented with the past.
In 2005, what started as a short visit to Australia to escape the pace of it all … turned into forever.
She fell in love with the land, and the big southern sky, married a farmer, and became a proud mum to a gorgeous little boy.
Back in England, her old life was lovingly boxed up by her parents. Folded, wrapped and preserved like a time capsule of that former world.
For 10 years, it sat in storage. Waiting.
On Christmas Eve 2015, the entire contents of her past life finally arrived in Australia.
But the emotional weight was too great.
It all went back into storage – sealed again for another decade, untouched and unexplored.
On 9 May, 2017, her life changed forever when she became a single mum. The years that followed were full – of love, resilience, and navigating life alone in regional NSW.
The thought of sorting through the past was simply too much. Those boxes weren’t just clothes or objects. They were memories of everything she once was.
Then last month, an ordinary conversation with a friend would turn into something extraordinary.
Emma Jensen had heard about this mysterious storage unit full of treasures before.
But when the Albury mum-of-three finally saw the contents – at 12:15 pm on Friday, 9 May, 2025 – it stopped her in her tracks.
“My adrenaline was going and my forehead got sweaty,” laughs Emma, who admits she and her mum Cathy are massive op shop fans.
“For us, a fun day out is going on an op shop crawl and having lunch in a country town.
“This was like hitting the op shop jackpot! These clothes, the exquisite quality, are rare to find even in op shops.”
There, in all their carefully preserved glory, were thousands upon thousands of designer and vintage pieces from the likes of Versace, Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix, Prada, Chanel, Karen Millen, Levi Strauss and Ted Baker London.
From shoes, belts and bags to every imaginable item of clothing (including designer gowns, swimwear, French lingerie, and even a pair of stockings with the tag still on), Emma says the discovery was exhilarating.
“It took my breath away – it wasn’t just fashion, it was a journey captured in cloth and colour,” she says.
Emma immediately volunteered her services – and the expansive garage of the family home – to help her friend sort and catalogue the collection, which they decided to start selling through online fashion marketing platform Depop.
And just like that … Perpetual Vintage was born.
It’s been a painstaking and deeply personal labour of love, Emma admits.
“The sheer volume of work, the heavy lifting and sorting … we’ve had to buy clothing racks and about 3000 hangers so far,” she says.
Given every single item has to be photographed and its authenticity cross-checked before being listed online, this all-consuming exercise has necessitated a “soft launch”.
Emma has taken to social media to both share the incredible story and generate interest in the Perpetual Vintage collection.
The response has been almost overwhelming: her TikTok videos have had more than 60,000 views in the first 20 days.
@perpetualvintage My garage is full of Y2K, vintage and designer clothing, shoes and bags! I have never had so much fun sorting out a wardrobe! Depop is perpetualvintage01! #cache #y2k #y2kaesthetic #y2kfashion #vintagefashion #vintagevibes #depopseller #clothinghaul #vintagehaul #guccishoes
Perpetual Vintage had its first sale within an hour of launching – a Versace long-sleeve T-shirt and an original Ferrari singlet from the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, incidentally won by Michael Schumacher (for Ferrari).
Emma says they’ve already had vintage retailers from Melbourne and New Zealand offering to buy the collection in bulk.
“We’ve said no, because we want to see each piece sold on to a new, loving home,” she says.
This is not a fire sale or quick grab for cash.
For these two friends, there are moments to be shared and memories rekindled in touching and reconnecting with every garment.
“We are giving every item the dignity it deserves,” Emma says.
Now Perpetual Vintage will weave its own threads into a welcome slow-fashion revival – of stories, soul and style.
The thankyou card enclosed with each carefully wrapped sold item reminds the customer that: “Every beautiful piece you choose already has its own story – and thanks to you that story continues. Even better, you’re helping keep it out of landfill!”
These pieces were meant to be worn again.
Shared again.
Loved once again.
To check out the collection, go to Perpetual Vintage.
