Where It All Began
About me | My story
The start of it all.
Back in August 2010, I had an epiphany whilst I was attending a marvellous vintage event (Goodwood Revival!) which, I had no idea at the time, was to be the pivotal point of my career and, in turn, my life.
I had been an advertising sales agent for many years, but in my spare time, was a singer in a hobby rock band where we enjoyed relative success on the local pub scene – I adored leading a double life and relished the opportunity to perform whenever I could.
Dawn Gracie About Me
The Journey
I loved my eight years in this office-based job, but, I began to get itchy feet and couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was I wanted to do. Could I turn my vintage obsession – mainly collecting clothes and accessories – into a business? Could I really take the plunge and perhaps open a shop? After all, I was a natural-born salesperson and surely that would help? As I was sipping tea from a china cup and enjoying soaking up the atmosphere of this aforementioned marvellous vintage event, I looked around me and I realised that I HAD to explore my options and see if I could build a new career, after all, I was on the cusp of turning forty and they do say that life changing moments happen around this age. I decided to embrace it fully.
I spent a few months brainstorming my ideas and as the calendar turned a page and became 2011, I decided to get fit, lose weight and have a complete life laundry. I announced that I would be exploring my career options, and my boss Rachel was incredibly supportive for which I’ll be forever grateful – I had a brief and beautiful stint working in a Cath Kidston shop in my hometown of Chichester, which made me realise how much I wanted to get out from behind my desk.
As September loomed, I began to plan my outfit for Goodwood Revival and much to my surprise, I managed to fit into a tiny beautiful pink original vintage dress that id’ bought many years earlier. I had lost three stone since January through hard training and adjustments to my diet and I felt a million dollars! I will never forget Goodwood Revival 2011 because it was the year that everything fell into place. I was chosen out of thousands as the best dressed lady and I’ve never felt so totally overwhelmed! I was beaming for weeks and the bottle of Veuve Cliquot remained unopened until October 2019. I’ll tell you why shortly.
Within a few days of winning the title, my friend who worked at a local nursing home asked if I’d be happy to pop by to show her elderly residents what I’d worn to pick up the coveted title of ‘Best Dressed’ and of course I was more than happy to do so. However she added that if I could sing and dance for an hour then she could actually pay me as an entertainer – I was puzzled at first because I had no idea this was even a thing, and so I pulled together a set of backing tracks of songs I loved to sing in private and certainly not with my rock band, and set about rehearsing.
“I thoroughly enjoyed performing for the residents at Hooklands in Bracklesham Bay that day, and it soon dawned on me, that not only could I dress up in my favourite vintage outfits, but I could be paid to sing my favourite nostalgic songs to people who also loved them! As a job!”
"I became a full-time vintage entertainer and I loved it! It was like a dream come true and all the elements of my career and hobby had come together by complete accident but sat together so harmoniously."
Dawn Gracie
Since 2011, I have grown as a performer and have coached many others in performance and stage presence through the art of burlesque (another skill I accidentally picked up along the way!), but what seems to have also happened is that through my passion for entertaining and providing immersive experiences, I became very adept at producing events and shows. Back in August 2010 as I gazed around at the previously mentioned marvellous vintage event, I allowed myself to dream about one day having the opportunity to be involved with a glorious gathering such as that. However, I had no idea that six years later, I wouldn’t be helping, but instead, I would have my name emblazoned across the whole event and Dawn’s Vintage Weekender would be born.
In 2016, as well as launching my own regular cabaret named Chichester Cabaret Club, I trialled my first three-day immersive residential vintage weekender! My first ‘Dawn’s Vintage Weekender’ focused on the 50s & 60s at a kitsch holiday village on the South coast of England in Bracklesham Bay – the same village where the whole thing started! After a successful Crowdfunding campaign to help with some expenses, the event was absolutely exhausting, exhilarating and expensive but it was a very worthwhile learning experience and really tested my abilities in both business and stamina.
It’s the little added touches that make my events so special and why I go to extreme lengths to get the details right.
Following my debut residential Vintage Weekender in 2016, things were all set to be repeated the following year at the same venue, however, it wasn’t to be on account of the fact that Southdowns Holiday Village was sold for redevelopment – a huge blow and such a loss of one of the last remaining original holiday village sites on the South coast. However, I picked myself up, dusted off the pinafore and set about planning for Weekender 2018 (was too late for 2017 but I held a Vintage All Dayer instead!) I found the perfect venue on Hayling Island called Mill Rythe (Away Resorts) that had all the charm and character I needed. Weekender 2018 was literally a roaring success (we added the 20s as a feature era) My heart swelled with pride but still costs exceeded any profit but I was on a trajectory for success and my dogged determination remained intact.
No sooner had 2018 guests left the premises, and I was already planning Weekender 2019, but this time, with more knowledge about the venue workings and possibilities. I felt that adding a feature era to my 50s & 60s theme worked really well and so after a brainstorming session with my Yellowcoats, it was decided that it was time to do the 80s! Words cannot express how proud I was of Weekender 2019 – the bottle of Veuve Clicquot was opened! – and guests fell over themselves to rebook for 2020 even before they left on Monday.
By February 2020, we only had 9 tickets left and for the first time, my epic event would be sold out many months ahead. I was beyond emotional about this and was thoroughly enjoying planning the event without the worry and stress of selling enough tickets to cover costs.
And then Covid 19 happened…
Of course the pandemic descimated the hospitality and entertainment industy and needless to say my Weekender was cancelled along with my entire calendar of bookings. I was devastated.
I then spent the following year dedicating myself to online work including live streams supporting carers and people living with dementia with regular singing sessions. I even picked up the ukulele again and also launched a vintage themed subscription box to cheery people up while we were locked in our homes.
It was a pleasure to finally see the return of my Weekender in 2022 when Lakeside Coastal Village (Warner) became our new home with all the ‘Holiday Camp’ vibes – check out the showreel of what happened in 2022.
I never imagined my life would pivot at the age of 40 and the sequence of events that have happened ever since that day in Septmber 2011 at Goodwood Revivial have brought me to a day where I was asked to be the Head Judge at Goodwood Revival Best Dressed Competition! My head was spinning with the excitement and the realisation that things have come literally full circle – I was so honoured to have been asked to take on the coordination of this incredible feature of the event that inspired the last decade of my life. During this event, I worked with fashion and cultural icons such as Twiggy, Patty Boyd and Dita Von Teese.
Weekender 2024 saw a return of the 1920s feature era alongside my beloved 50s & 60s. Fun and games included a double mobility scooter derby, a late night speakeasy and plenty of costume changes! 2024 was also the year that my talents as a cabaret producer were recognised and prestigious venues such as Cowdray Polo Club asked me to cast and host a beautiful evening for theri Gold Cup weekend.
2025 is set to be another game changing year with venues such as The National Trusts Petworth House hiring me to produce a stunning cabaret evening, and the newly relaunched Venue 24 on Bognor Pier has me as their new cabaret producer. Sadly I pass the reigns over to a commercial entity of the Goodwood best dressed competition, but I am so proud to have taken it to the next level and wish the new organsier a lot of luck. Weekender 2025 is going to be the best yet, with the 70s as the added era so standby for news of band and activities.
Onward and upward with a smile on my face and a spring in my kitten heels!