Review: Space Out Sister vintage clothes shop

Space Out Sister

Space Out Sister opened six months ago and is one of the Liberties newest vintage clothing shops. Located at 73 Francis Street, it aims to be a bright and cosy escape from “the confines of everyday life”. Owned and ran by Kiki Forrester, also known as Kiki La Femme, Space Out Sister sells a variety of clothes from different eras and of different styles, all with the intention of being “comfortable but beautiful”.

Walking into the shop, I was immediately struck by bright colours and the scent of burning incense. The walls are covered in pictures from various photo-shoots done featuring some of the clothes on sale, and racks of said clothes are laid out in an eye-catching way. Colours are very important to Kiki, as are interesting and unusual patterns. Her aim is for the shop to help inspire people to take time out for themselves, hence the name.

Kiki has a focus on beautiful clothes that are designed for comfort, and is a big fan of the whole idea of “inner-wear as outer-wear”. For her this means selling things like bright and beautiful robes and dressing gowns made for lounging around the house, but that you could also wear outside. There are bright printed leggings, intricately designed tops, a selection of vintage lingerie (shipped all the way from America) and some vintage pieces from Hollywood.

Originally from Palmerstown, Kiki first started selling vintage clothes three years ago, running a pop-up shop out of her own house called Kiki’s Boutiki. She then joined the 74 Francis Street Collective and began selling her wares with them, focusing more on “stand alone, outfit completing pieces”. The opportunity then came up for her to open her own shop on 73 Francis Street and, finding it too good a chance to miss, she took it. She considers her time apart of the Collective, a collaborative of different shops, as extremely helpful in getting her to find her feet and find what she really wants to do.

Space Out Sister focuses more on an entire style of clothing as opposed to stand-alone pieces. The aim of what Kiki sells is to “let your imagination take you into a daydream and stay there for as long as you possibly can”, with a focus on being physically comfortable but still feeling good about what you’re wearing. She sells a collection of vintage pieces originally from Hollywood, including evening gowns worn in old films and glam night-wear. Kiki hopes that people can come to a place where we can put on “something that’s really beautiful and glam inspired and just swan in it”, with her ideal world being full of people wearing classy gowns and so-called formal wear as their normal, daily outfits.
Space Out Sister isn’t your average vintage shop, nor is Kiki your average vintage shop owner. Stepping inside is like stepping into a bubble of calm, removed from hectic day-to-day life. Kiki isn’t just selling clothes, she’s trying to create a lifestyle, one focused on peace and being true to whoever you think you are. She’s now focusing on expanding her online presence, with plans to run competitions and special offers on the Facebook and Instagram pages of the shop. Her vision of Space Out Sister’s future is bright, and she hopes the next six months will treat her as well as the previous six did.