Postcards From Florida
Here at Revival Vintage, we specialise in authentic vintage reproduction clothing, bringing historic styles back to life for modern wardrobes.
A Palette Made For The Gulf Coast
From Sketch To Shoreline - The Story Behind The Revival Vintage Spring Summer 2026 Collection
Whether I'm decorating a room or designing a collection, I always begin with a spark of inspiration that can come from anywhere — a painting, a garden, or sometimes the most unexpected thing.
On this occasion, I was simply scrolling through old holiday photos on my computer, attempting to free up a little storage space. One of our favourite places on the planet is Sarasota, Florida, and suddenly those images filled the screen with deep tropical deco tones and coastal shades.
From that moment the colour story for SS26 began to take shape.
The result was a range of vintage reproduction womenswear inspired by the golden age of travel and the vibrant palette of the Gulf Coast.
As with most Revival Vintage collections, our authentic vintage designs are painstaking reproductions of their original counterparts. I always begin with silhouette — refining the shapes of the garments and ensuring the mix of styles feels balanced. Once I'm happy with that foundation, I move on to fabrics.
This year I settled on a series of striking plain shades alongside several original prints that immediately caught my eye. One of the fabrics had actually been waiting patiently for its moment. I discovered it in an antique mall a couple of years earlier and knew straight away it would eventually find its place in a future collection.
When it came to choosing a location for our SS26 shoot, the decision felt effortless.
Coral tones reminiscent of sunset skies.
Seafoam greens drawn from shallow Gulf waters.
Sun-washed yellows and clear-sky blues, followed by the electric pop of neon after dark.
I could feel a mood board coming on… our Creative brand manager Helen is a pro at those!
Organising A Shoot 4,000 Miles Away
So then begins the task of organising a photoshoot thousands of miles away — 4,236 miles (6,817 km) to be exact.
To start with, we reached out to an original vintage store we had visited on previous trips to Sarasota to see if they might like to collaborate with us. Our thinking was simple: if we used some of their original vintage accessories to team with the vintage style womenswear in our shoot, we would gain beautiful authentic styling pieces while they could share the finished imagery across their own channels.
We weren't asking for any contribution towards the cost of the shoot, simply the opportunity to work together.
As it turned out, the owner wasn't up for it, so we were going it alone.
However, while browsing their website, and social media I noticed that one of their employees was actually a photographer, which seemed like a very good place to start.
I emailed Kaitlyn and immediately she was keen to take on the project. A local photographer who could scout locations and suggest ideas, perfect! We settled on a one day shoot to accommodate six mens and six womens outfits, ideally between two locations.
Location Location Location
When we landed in Florida, we had just over one week to prepare for our shoot. In that time we needed to finalise our models, visit our two locations, buy a few props and accessories, and photograph some incidental shots for teaser posts.
One of my ideas was to use a characterful, iconic 1950s–60s motel. The motel setting gives us structure and nostalgia — pastel walls, architectural lines, and that unmistakable midcentury charm. We found a couple of possibilities in the area, but some had been converted into apartments, which meant far too many permissions would have been required.
Kaitlyn suggested the Golden Host, which turned out to include most of the elements we were looking for:
Tiki bar — check.
Swimming pool — check.
Bright pastel exterior — check.
Happy for us to shoot there — a very big check!
For our second location we naturally favoured a beach scene, ideally with palms and perhaps a jetty. The closest beach is Lido, but when we visited we felt it lacked a little of the character and finesse that our Socialite outfits deserved. Instead, we settled on the more formal setting of a nearby park with a beach frontage. That way we could still capture the water's edge while giving the garments a setting that felt a little more refined. Time permitting we might even fit in a dash to the nearby Marina for sunset.
Casting The Faces Of SS26
The creative team put out a call for one male and one female model with availability in early March. At the same time, we researched model and casting agencies in the area.
For us it's always preferable to work with natural models who are already part of our community. They understand what we do, the looks we are trying to achieve, and the spirit behind Revival Vintage.
We were also restricted by the sizing of our clothing samples, as the bulk manufacturing wouldn't be completed until early April.
Ryan came to our attention first. In his message he explained that he wasn't a professional model, but that he had made purchases from us and had a keen interest in historical menswear. In fact, he hand-tailors 16th-century clothing — a little early for Revival — but as he explained in his email:
"I've found that armour and a Zweihänder tends to get you some odd looks at the grocery store."
That's where we came in — offering him heritage styles that attract slightly fewer stares!
We met Ryan for a beer a few days before the shoot to check the fit of the garments, which thankfully worked perfectly. Welcome aboard, Ryan.
Chelsea contacted us a little closer to lift-off. We were immediately drawn to her enthusiasm, although we still needed to confirm that the sizing would work. We arranged to meet at a shopping mall so she could try on all six women's garments.
Mark and I arrived early and I thought I had found the perfect place for our impromptu fitting room. It was a large family room with screened areas and sofas — the kind of space Mark and I have used on a smaller scale when changing our granddaughter. There wasn't a soul around, so I figured we wouldn't be in anyone's way.
Four garments in, a rather stern security guard informed us that we weren't allowed to be there and promptly moved us along. Resisting the temptation to call him a jobsworth, we gathered our things and relocated.
For the remaining garments, Chelsea suggested a nearby bookshop she knew had facilities. This time we asked permission first — just to avoid a repeat performance — and managed to get through the full set without further interruption.
Most of the garments looked adorable. Chelsea has a curvy hourglass figure, which meant a couple of the bodices were on the snug side. Rather than exclude her from the shoot, I reluctantly offered to wear the smaller pieces. It certainly wasn't my intention to volunteer, but if needs must, I'm sure we'll make it work.
Shoot Day
The forecast showed full sun 29 degrees. Sizzling temps for us to work with. So armed with a cool bag of frozen waters, suncream, hats and snacks Mark and I set out to the Golden Host resort. Our car boot was already brimming with clothing, accessories and props. We were the last to arrive, but our team was already there and eager to begin — a fantastic start. Chelsea was accompanied by her partner Michael who went on to be a huge asset to us all, assisting photographer Kaitlyn with her equipment plus we benefited from his keen eye for detail such as a tucked in collar or kinks in a skirt.
My job for the day was to suggest locations and poses, utilise our props and accessories plus keep the models on track. Additionally, I took behind-the-scenes videos and stills when my shadow wasn't in the way. Mark took on a similar role, more so assisting Ryan with his classic menswear. He also ordered the Tiki cocktail for our bar setting. Cheers Mark!
The hotel was even better than we could have imagined and it's staff could not have been more accommodating. We made sure to thank everyone as we headed off at around 3.30pm to a nearby park for phase two.
Bay Park was the perfect choice as it combined paths sweeping through the mangroves and palms plus a pretty beach front. We took advantage of both as well as a cute swing seat which we timed perfectly as it was free when we happened upon it. During our beach shots three pelicans soared above us and a boat sped along in the background. I know we were working but our setting could not have been more idyllic. I reminded myself how lucky we were to be there.
Thankfully Chelsea managed to squeeze into one of the dresses I was earmarked for which left me with only one outfit to model. Our new 1940s inspired blue gingham Weekender suit. It felt lovely to wear even with clips protruding at the back to take it down to my size. Fortunately we only needed front views.
The five of us worked seamlessly together. Our conscientiousness and shared enthusiasm for midcentury fashion meant the afternoon ran smoothly. We all got on so well that we extended our time together at a local waterfront bar where we enjoyed aprés-shoot drinks and a bite to eat. Ryan's girlfriend joined us after work which was a perfect close to our day.
Seeing pieces from our SS26 collection against a backdrop so closely connected to the elements that inspired it was incredibly special. There was nowhere else we could imagine bringing this collection to life. Working with a talented Sarasota-based photographer and local models brought a wonderful energy to the shoot, helping us capture the spirit of the collection exactly as we had imagined it. We will not forget this bunch of lovely people that helped us make it happen.
Our Postcards From Florida collection is available to preorder now with delivery due at the end of May. Browse our lookbook to see all the images from our photoshoot and get some inspiration for your summer vintage wardrobe:
In the meantime, Claire invites you to view our latest post-production samples in our showroom. We can't wait for you to step into your own postcard moment!
