By Jason Eisenberg
jeisenberg@riverdalepress.com

Vintage clothing and accessories have fascinated Riverdale resident Andrea Hall Levy ever since she was a teenager.

She has spent much of her free time in the last five years assembling a collection of clothing, jewelry, handbags, shoes and coats, ranging from as far back as the early 1900s up to the 1980s. Now these items are currently on sale at Anjanou, Ms. Hall Levy's recently opened shop at 5701 Mosholu Ave.

"I started collecting and doing vintage shows on the side while I was still working with the Riverdale Mental Health Association," said Ms. Hall Levy, who left her liaison post at RMHA in October. "But as an artist, I really missed the creative part of my life, so I leased this property back in July, completely renovated the place and the rest is history."

Unlike a consignment shop, all of the pieces in Anjanou have either been purchased by Ms. Hall Levy herself or sent to her through various connections she has all over the country. In fact, the "hunt," as Ms. Hall Levy calls it, for these rare and elegant items is what she loves best.

"I have clothing here from the Titanic era which is in great condition and still wearable," Ms. Hall Levy said. "Every piece in the store is like a part of history because they all have an individual story behind them, so it is really almost like a museum in here."

The impressive clothing compilation includes dresses, gowns, suits and sweaters from designers such as Chanel, Pucci, Geoffrey Beene and Yves Saint Laurent. Prices for these garments range from $15 up to $2,000, which according to Ms. Hall Levy, is a significant discount off their actual market value.

For anyone wondering whether vintage clothing is in style, Ms. Hall Levy pointed to celebrities. "I am pretty hip when it comes to fashion but the important thing is that all the stars are currently wearing vintage dresses, gowns and jewelry," she said. "I have some pieces from the 20s which were used in the movie The Aviator and I had [singer and actress] Mandy Moore come in and get some stuff from the store last week. Obviously there is still a lot of interest in vintage."

Ms. Hall Levy allows customers to rent dresses from Anjanou if they need