From her stockpile of retro treasures at St. Paul vintage haven Shop Country Club to her eclectic Fall/Winter vintage collection shown at Paris Fashion Week last fall, Amanda Morell has long believed in the innate romanticism of “something borrowed.”
“Vintage and upcycled pieces…they just carry so much more depth and add a touch of hand to everything,” Morell shares.
Now, this love affair with vintage charm is leading Morell into the ivory-tinted realms of a previously unexplored industry—weddings. In partnership with her friend Eva Johnson, owner of retro-themed vacation rental Grandpa’s Pool House, Morell is set to open her first vintage bridal concept, Fashion Club, on June 6 in North St. Paul. The shop will share space with Johnson’s long-envisioned Vegas-style wedding chapel—appropriately named The Garter Toss—an intimate, “post-modern glamour meets dive bar aesthetic” space for wedding ceremonies, vow renewals, and wedding/engagement shoots.
The Fashion Club will carry a mix of both vintage and upcycled bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, lingerie, accessories, and formalwear, employing a focus on affordable and casual wedding wear that offers a unique alternative for Twin Cities brides.
“We’re taking bridal and injecting fashion into it, or, as I say, ‘Doing it in a different way,’” shares Morell. “Maybe its wearing your wedding dress with a baseball cap or wearing the top of a wedding dress with a pair of jeans for an event leading up to your wedding. Just experimenting with different ideas and pioneering a new way to think about bridal.”
It is no secret that incorporating vintage or secondhand elements into a bridal ensemble (“something old” and “something borrowed”) has long been associated with good luck in marriage. But it is only recently that vintage bridal gowns have skyrocketed in popularity. Global fashion shopping platform Lyst reported a 297% spike in searches for the term “vintage wedding dress” after Princess Beatrice walked down the aisle in a secondhand Norman Hartnell gown in 2020. Since then, the trend has steadily grown, boosted by the support of mega-popular shops like Happy Isles in New York City and vintage reseller platforms like The RealReal, which reported a month-over-month rise in searches for “vintage white dress” in 2024.
But apart from Andrea’s Vintage Bridal in Linden Hills, there are few brick-and-mortar vintage bridal experiences in the Twin Cities—a perceived “void or opportunity” that Morell couldn’t wait to jump on.
“It gets me really excited, because I like to be the ‘first’ to do something or, if not the first, at least someone to help people start thinking about things a little bit differently. That’s what has kept me really motivated—giving people a different experience.”
Shoppers familiar with Morell’s West Seventh Shop Country Club can expect to enjoy a similar fashion-forward, Parisian street-style edge from her bridal offerings, in addition to one-of-a-kind upcycled creations by three independent designers. Morell describes the set-up as a “co-op” of sorts, granting additional creatives a chance to sell their work and gain 27/7 access to the space for photo shoots and personal brand development.
“It’s like an antique mall kind of idea. I’m so excited about it. And the more drop-offs the three designers bring me, the more excited I get,” says Morell. “We don’t have just vintage veils; we have vintage veils that artists have put their unique spin on. It’s so cool.”
Among the designers/sellers joining Fashion Club will be Twin Cities-based Jenny Carle Designs and Moon Gold Goods, who have both collaborated with Morrell on past runway and market experiences, and Wisconsin-based Lizzy Averbeck Styles, who has been involved in several local runway productions.
“Wearing vintage on your wedding day is not only good for the environment but good for your wallet, and makes a bold statement on your special day,” says Averbeck. “I think this shop is going to bring bridal to a whole new level.”
Fashion Club’s grand opening on June 6 will coincide with the first History Cruze Car Show of the summer season, a beloved 29-year-old tradition in North St. Paul. Shoppers can view the parade of over 700 classic cars outside the shop’s front door as they enjoy exclusive chapel tours, romantic photo ops, swag bags, drinks, and DJ tunes. Stop by any time from 5-9 p.m. to welcome this exciting new addition to the Twin Cities bridal landscape— 2543 7th Avenue East, North St. Paul