Vintage Shopping Trip in Italy with PDA Shop

A vintage buying trip to Italy has become an annual ritual for the owners of a Melbourne-based fashion store. Belle Saunders and Sarah Lamont travel from Fitzroy to Modena every year to source stock for PDA Shop. The partners describe the journey as exhausting but essential for their business.

The women land in Italy early in the morning with plans to check into their accommodation immediately. Instead, they drive straight toward the warehouses they visit every year. Sarah Lamont handles the navigation while Belle Saunders drives the rented car.

Italy’s operating hours require careful scheduling. Shops open at 9 a.m., close for a siesta until 4:30 p.m., and lock up again in the evening. This schedule forces the pair to plan their routes weeks in advance. If they miss a stop on the designated day, they might not return to that town again.

Searching through high-end stock

The team spends their days exploring massive warehouses filled with secondhand luxury items. The inventory includes labels like Dolce and Gabbana, Armani, and Gucci. The sheer volume of stock can be overwhelming, but the women quickly learn to filter for pieces that fit their seasonal collections.

By the afternoon, the initial adrenaline of seeing so much inventory fades. The team relies on coffee to keep going. They stop for a Crema di Caffè near the warehouses to reset before continuing their search.

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A busy day in Modena

Lunch breaks are short but necessary. The pair dines at Restaurant da Enzo in Modena. The restaurant looks unassuming from the street, but the food is highly regarded locally. They share a selection of entrees and a plate of ravioli to refuel.

Evenings are spent recording their purchases. Sarah Lamont logs every item into the business system while Belle Saunders cooks dinner. Their combined experience helps them process the information quickly. They often work until the early hours of the morning, just as the team in Melbourne is preparing to open the store.

The physical toll of the trip catches up with them eventually. Jet lag sets in, and travel logistics become difficult. On one of their last days, the women struggle to get into their accommodation and decide to spend the rest of the day resting. They slice fruit, open a bottle of wine, and handle any remaining administrative tasks.

They admit that this schedule is not the ideal way to experience the country, but they return to Italy because they look forward to the work. The experience of finding items for their community is the main reward.