So, Daisy Lee. Tell us a bit about yourself.
«I’m a self taught costume maker and I pretty much sew everything. I do textile repairs, restorations and create theatre costumes. From children’s costumes to burlesque/boylesque costumes that are removed layer by layer. Broedplaats has been home to my little lair for quite some years now. First in the main building, and after that in the back wing of Volkshotel.»
Where does your poodle passion come from?
«Well, I didn’t even realize I had one until recently. Victor & Rolf implemented the bow as a symbol of prettiness. I realized that for me the poodle is the embodiment of girly fuzziness. And later it started taking on its own life when I found out that poodles are very intelligent. After that my interest turned into admiration.»
How many poodle items do you own?
«It’s just like tattoos, you can’t count them. All my poodles are at Volkshotel, so my house is a poodle free zone now unfortunately. Luckily I have enough other dogs at home too.»
Where do you get your poodles from?
«Wow, from all over. Some broches are made by a French woman, others by an English jewelry maker. But also from flea markets and vintage sites. The porcelain ones come from thrift stores. Those are the ultimate chaos of mankind. Decorative detritus I call it. I love that kind of madness, but I’m learning to just admire and walk away from it. It’s hard though. The poodles just look so perfect.»
Do you own a poodle yourself?
«No. I don’t have time to take care of it. And if I would, I wouldn’t necessarily get a poodle. I love all dogs. It’s more that poodles are the embodiment of fluffiness. I like the artificiality of it.»
Will your collection ever be complete?
«I’m not allowed (by myself) to buy anymore. It only takes up space. That said, I just bought a new broche online. Broches are flat, so it won’t take up too much space. I can’t buy the bigger ones. But hey, rules are meant to be broken. This dust gathering stuff sometimes is a pain in the butt though. Sometimes, I wish someone would just offer me a 1.000 euros to take over the collection. But I bet I wouldn’t do it. Ok well, maybe for 10.000 euros.»
Daisy Lee – The Pastie Chef
Take a look at her Facebook page and website.
More collectors
Jeroen collects stop-motion puppets
Alma collects hamburgers
Ada collects Christmas cribs
Bart collects Gremlins
If you’re a poodle collector, let us know at hello@volkshotel.nl. We’ll make sure to connect you to Daisy Lee. She’d love to meet other poodle addicts too. Besides that Volkshotel is looking for other collectors too. Those with an untamable passion for quirky items. To show off their special collections and to tell the special stories behind it. Happen to know one?
