Meet the Vault: Madeleine Of Fieldery

 

Today we’d love to introduce you to Madeleine, the owner of Fieldery, featured at The Vault Collective Vermont since 2019. We asked Madeleine how she got into vintage clothing and what inspires her curation of Fieldery, both ideologically and artistically. Here are her responses:

In the fall of 2015, my partner and I completed a meandering, summer-long road trip from the East Coast to my hometown in Sonoma County, California. We landed there with no plan of what was next for us. Because we had driven cross-country in our small 1987 Toyota Sunrader camper, most of our belongings, including my art supplies, didn’t make the trip, which left me feeling creatively constrained.

That Christmas I had success buying secondhand gifts and realized it quenched some of my creative thirst. (I started thrifting with my mom at a young age, so it’s long been a part of my life. I remember her teaching me to be more efficient by first looking for colors and feeling fabrics before pulling an item from the rack.)

I was also following a lot of vintage sellers on Instagram and thought, “I could do that, too,” and I decided to try selling my vintage finds. I started on Etsy and then began selling at markets and popups in the Bay Area. Soon after moving to Vermont in early 2019, Ruth reached out to me about joining The Vault and I haven’t looked back.

 

The vintage camper that Madeleine traveled across the country in with her partner Kyle.

I love the natural beauty of Vermont. In Brattleboro, I live within walking distance from downtown and numerous trailheads. The long drive to and from The Vault is made bearable, even pleasurable, by the stunning views of the mountains with fog-laden valleys, snow-dusted peaks, and full-moon rises.

 

Maddy Jameson modeling Fieldery pieces. Shot by Drew Brooks.

 

I suppose my style would be classified as minimalist. I’m drawn to neutrals and solids with splashes of color and the occasional bold print. I draw inspiration from the natural environment – the gauzy glow of a foggy morning, the intersecting lines of cracked ice, the colorful pattern of lichen growing on a rock. This translates to my vintage aesthetic in my love of texture and shape – nubby, raw silk, or a dramatic sleeve, for example.

I look for pieces made from natural fibers, both in my own wardrobe and for Fieldery. For the most part, I steer clear of synthetics, both due to the environmental impact it continues to have when washed and my aesthetic preferences. Natural fibers tend to be more durable than synthetics and I prefer how they feel and wear over time.

I majored in Environmental Studies in college and spent a lot of time studying product life cycles and waste impacts. Resurrecting garments that might otherwise end up in a landfill [waste stream diversion] was another major impetus for starting Fieldery. I get so much gratification from rehabilitating items – whether it's replacing buttons, mending holes, removing stains, or conditioning dried-out leather – and seeing them find new homes and live on.

  

Madeleine as a child wearing her mom’s vintage Texas Aggies jumpsuit. 

 

Madeleine's inspirations:

• Julie O’Rourke of Rudy Jude’s crafty ingenuity, commitment to natural fibers and heirloom-quality clothing, and sense of humor.
• Bode’s cozy color palette, eclectic designs, and use of deadstock, bespoke, and vintage-inspired fabrics.
• Kellen Tucker of Sharktooth’s antique and vintage textiles, her classy, yet quirky design sense, and affection for the imperfections and their stories.
• The story of Alabama Chanin.
• Cara Wolff Jewelry in Brattleboro- check out my rack of clothing featured at the store!