Championed by style icons like Kate Moss, vintage clothing is in hot demand. Francesca Craggs meets model, Carly Walkington, who shunned the bright lights of LA to launch her very own vintage clothing company here in the North East.

RUBBING shoulders with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Janet Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio, Carly Walkington was living the LA high life.

The stunning 29-year-old from Houghton-le-Spring moved to California with her former partner around two years ago and quickly found herself at the hub of the Hollywood social scene.

She breezed into all the exclusive LA nightspots and was even snapped by awaiting paparazzi on a couple of occasions. Yet despite the excitement and glamour, her inability to work due to Green Card restrictions left her frustrated and disillusioned.

“I loved how relaxed it was there. The sun, shopping and the nightlife were just amazing. We got to know people very quickly and found ourselves in the same nightspots as the likes of Janet Jackson, Jessica Simpson, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Everywhere you went there was someone famous.

“Apart from all the glamour though, it was a very unnatural place. People were constantly networking and thrusting their business cards in your face. It was a bit surreal.”

Apart from hobnobbing with celebrities, one of Carly’s favourite LA pastimes was perusing the myriad of vintage clothing stores on Melrose Avenue.

“Contrary to the image it portrays, LA style isn’t overly glamorous. It’s the very laid back and relaxed. The total opposite to Newcastle in fact.

“Here, everyone gets really dressed up, while in LA people just wear jeans and sandals. It’s very much Boho chic. Nicole Ritchie is the epitome of the LA look.” Inspired by the vintage vibe and fed up with the LA scene, she decided to bite the bullet and return to the North East. With support from suppliers she met on Melrose Avenue, Carly recently launched online vintage clothing boutique, era vintage.