Episode 1: Bianca Raess
In episode one of season three, I chat with Bianca Raess, vintage fashion maestro and coordinator of the Wayside Chapel Op Shop. While Bianca stands as a beloved fixture in the Wayside community, graciously serving both those who give and those in need, her own life has travelled a varied path that has seen her take on diverse roles ranging from fruit picker to young mum to aspiring actress. Bianca’s fashion choices may also have followed various twists and turns but it’s always been her style to consider community and add a little vintage charm to her look.
I’ve kept Bianca in the easy-going style she has gotten used to and dressed her in a reclaimed pink jumpsuit and Nicholas Kirkwood kitten heels, sourced from the Wayside Chapel Op Shop.
“My mum being Greek and my dad being Czech, I just remember feeling like I wanted to be like my friends and I didn’t want to speak Greek. It doesn’t feel like it would be that different now but I was aware of it and just wanting to look like other people.”
“My love of vintage and second-hand clothing developed in my teens and tie-dye made a come back for me. Tie-dye, petticoat skirts and little Bonds t-shirts with my cherry Docs, that was my thing. Just that grungy, angsty, confused girl.”
Photography by Giuseppe Santamaria @ MITT Work