Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.07.2010, Side 43

Mon.–Wed. 10–18.30, Thu. 10–21, Fri. 10–19, Sat. 10–18, Sun. 13–18
Shopping Centre
Tax Free Shopping
at Reykjavík’s Largest
At Kringlan you will discover more than 150 quality shops, a wide
range of restaurants and services such as banks and a multiplex
cinema. All major international brands are represented, as well as
Icelandic designs and souvenirs.
Claim your tax-free cash refund at our service desk for a refund of
up to 15% of the VAT.
WHAT REALLY
HAPPENED …
By Vilhelm Gunnarsson;
a well known news photographer
26
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09 — 2010 Check out our new Mayor, Jón Gnarr, cavorting on the catwalk below!
If you’re still shopping-hungry after
Laugavegur and you want a real taste
of Reykjavík fashion, head to the wrong
side of the tracks, the grisly underbelly
of Reykjavík style, the Salvation Army.
Well, that’s stretching it. Reykjavík
doesn’t really have a wrong side of the
tracks (even if there was a railroad.
Which there isn’t), and the Salvation
Army is actually a pretty nice place.
The store’s down-to-earth image might
lead you to believe that there should
be a sign outside announcing, “Dowdy
Folks Only,” but you would be wrong. In
fact, on June 3 ‘Sally Ann’ brought her
glamorous side out of the closet and
onto the catwalk.
The Salvation Army teamed up with
celebrities and a few talented stylists to
put on a fashion show in Austurvöllur
square downtown. Catwalkers included
Jón Gnarr, Reykjavík’s new mayor, and
Páll Óskar, arguably Iceland’s most fab-
ulous gay icon.
Carmen Jóhannsdóttir was one of
these stylists. She got involved when
Dorthea H. Dam, who works at the
SA, spotted Carmen’s style sense and
asked if she’d be willing to help out. It
was all very spur-of-the-moment. “We
didn’t have any special ideas before
the models arrived for the fitting. It was
very random,” said Carmen. She was
particularly fond of the show’s open-
ing in which Jón Gnarr, Reykjavík’s new
mayor, and actor Benedict Erlingsson
appeared dressed as “Yugoslavian
gangsters.” Carmen also enjoyed Jón’s
appearance later in the show with his
wife and two of his kids as a “white
trash family.” Apparently, Jón specifi-
cally wanted to look like The Dude from
The Big Lebowski.
Despite its glitz, the fashion show’s
purpose was humble. “If we get more
money into the shop, then we can help
more people,” said Dorthea. “There are
so many people in Iceland that need
help because of the crisis.” Dorthea has
personally experienced a real increase
in the number of people coming to the
Salvation Army’s day shelter for help,
both in Reykjavík and at the location in
Akureyri, where she used to work. All
Salvation Army’s profits go to causes
within Iceland.
STyLE FOR ALL
The Salvation Army makes fabulous
clothes available to anyone willing to
search. Þórunn Ósk Rafnsdóttir told the
Grapevine that she’s found tons of fan-
tastic items for herself and her kids. “I
don’t have a husband, so I don’t have
much money to buy clothes,” Þórunn
said. The Salvation Army is perfect for
style on the cheap.
Anyone can appreciate that. “You
can get a homeless dude or you can
get a rich woman—all in search of the
unique thing, the gullmolar [gold nug-
gets],” Dorthea said. “But we want to
keep the prices so that it’s at a level for
everyone.”
The Salvation Army gets goods in
every day, so there’s always something
new on the racks. “It’s just like treasure
hunting,” Bára Kristgeirsdóttir, a graph-
ic design student, said as she tried on a
pair of mid-calf grey boots.
Along with shopping for her kids,
Þórunn also sometimes finds fashion
items for herself. Her favourite is a Cha-
nel suit with gold buttons. Old money to
the max.
“You can see the quality in the
clothes,” Hanna Jónsdóttir, a local de-
signer, said. The stuff you can find at
Salvation Army has withstood the test
of time, Hanna pointed out. It’s proven
itself to be high quality—not the sort of
poorly made clothing that falls apart in
the wash.
Carmen’s closet is stuffed with
Salvation Army treasures. She’s found
some of her favourite items there—“a
suede jacket from the late ‘80s, early
‘90s with gold clasps. Black suede
shoes. Skirts, shirts, whatever. Lots of
things!”
But as it stands, shoppers have to
put in a little elbow grease. “You have
to dig a little bit,” Carmen said. “If
you’re interested in fashion and you’re
creative, you can definitely find some-
thing there.”
Shopping | Second-hand shopping in style
your Style Salvation
Salvation Army shops are a fashion blessing
Highlights
THE SALVATION
ARMy FASHION
SHOW
Reykjavík’s new mayor, Jón Gnarr,
kicks off the show with all serious-
ness in a slobtacular tracksuit, then
re-appears mid-show with boda-
cious wife and two cute kids in tow.
Model sports undercut hairdo and snap-
py purple skirt suit. Pro catwalk moves.
Páll Óskar dons a blousey gold and black
shirt, skin-tight black jeans, and slick
black boots to perform his hit ‘Þú komst
við hjartað í mér’ live on the catwalk.
Songstress Birgitta Haukdal, Ice-
land’s 2003 Eurovision competitor,
sports a dusty rose floral cheongsam
with matching white floral updo.
Model shows off an asymmetri-
cal hemline black dress with art-
fully wrapped skinny belt, teetering
on beige lace-up, peep-toe wedges.
Dance pop sensation Haffi Haff and his
slicked back coif hamming it up for the
crowd in several appearances, most
notably in a chequered black and white
blazer reminiscent of Max Headroom.
STEPHANIE ORFORD
ALExANDRA yOUNG
“Apparently, Jón [Gnarr]
specifically wanted to look
like The Dude from the
film The Big Lebowski.“
-Impress your friends!
-Pick up men, women or both!
-Show off your impeccable tastes!
-Make friends and influence people!
-Pledge your undying allegiance to The
Grapevine!
-Cover your torso in style!
-Support your local alt.magazine!
-Buy tourist merch that’s less obviously
touristy!
es, The Reykjavík Grapevine finally has a
T-shirt all of its own. Pick up a copy of this
sweet, limited edition item at Havarí on
Austurstræti or Dogma on Laugavegur – 101
Reykjavík. And do it now. For the children.
We’ve Got your Steaming Hot
Grapevine T-shirt Right Here