Lance Avery Morgan
Ken Weber is the guy to know in Dallas if you love high-quality vintage clothing. Along with his husband and business partner, Greg Kelly, they’ve created Vintage Martini, which emcompasses Martini Consignment and Martini Man Consignment as the #1 go-to Texas destination for chic duds which also have a valuable and unique pedigree. Plus, because of its evolving selections, every time you visit will seem like the first time.
Ken’s eye for spectacular examples of vintage clothing in Texas is unparalleled, so much so that a new headquarters location has just opened to accommodate all the fashion finds to impact your own personal fashion sensibility. Here, our Lance Avery Morgan catches up with Weber to get an inside look at his style behind the style.
Portrait and Martini Consignment photography courtesy of Danny Campbell
Ken Weber: Honesty, eagerness to learn and humility.
Three qualities that got me where I am today are…
Easiest career decision I ever made is…
Ken Weber: After college, I accepted a job on a Disney film, The Big Green. For days, I sat there having to distress kids’ soccer shoes to make them look used and worn. That opened up my career in the film industry working on commercials, films, and episodic T.V. shows for many years.
I chose the world of vintage fashion as my occupation because…
Ken Weber: As a child, I fell in love with films from the 1930s. The men were suave, the women were gorgeous and everyone was dressed in the most stunning fashion.
Due to my ongoing involvement with collecting fashion, I have found that…
Ken Weber: Fashion does repeat itself and it’s amazing how most people don’t understand that. We get ladies in the store all the time who refuse to try on a 1950s dress; however, they have no problem putting on an exact replica by a current designer.
My personal style signifier is…
Ken Weber: A Ralph Lauren Oxford shirt
The classic movie star style I most identify with is…
Ken Weber: Cary Grant
Classic designer I wish was still designing today (and why) is…Charles James.
Ken Weber: He was an incredible sculptor and architect and one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. I can only imagine what his designs might look like today.
If I had to limit my shopping to one neighborhood in one city…
Ken Weber: Chelsea, NYC. There are so many fabulous stores and boutiques within walking distance of each other and you’re just a stoplight away from Soho and The Village.
Last thing I binge/marathon watched…
Ken Weber: I feel like I should say something important like, The New Look, which was about Chanel and Dior that I did love. However, the last show I seriously binged was The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
How I made my first dollar…
Ken Weber: Waiting tables at a BBQ restaurant when I was around 10.
Book that left a lasting impression on me…
Ken Weber: Watership Down by Richard Adams. There was something about those damn rabbits crossing the road.
First music I bought…
Ken Weber: The soundtrack to The Haunted Mansion. There was an album and storybook specifically for the famous Disney ride. This was decades before the movie was released.
On that note, my favorite fiction character is…
Ken Weber: Nick Charles from The Thin Man series. Nora Charles would be a close second.
My real-life hero has got to be…
Ken Weber: My mom. In a way, we grew up together because she was young when I was born. She sacrificed so much to make sure we had food on the table and a roof over our heads. We’ve always been best friends and she’s an inspiration to anyone who has had to navigate turbulent times, family, and relationships; but then end up as an incredibly strong, successful, and loving human.
If I could live in a foreign city it would be…
Ken Weber: Salzburg. I’ve never visited a city in Europe that took my breath away as much as it did. There is so much history there and it’s overwhelmingly gorgeous. And of course, many scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed here, so you gotta love that.
What everyone should try in their lifetime is…
Ken Weber: Bungee jumping. The thrill is unbelievable and it’s so much safer than skydiving.
If I could compete in an Olympic sport, or create a new one, it would be…
Ken Weber: Something that I could do while holding a French 75 and not have to worry about spilling it.
If I weren’t doing what I do I would…
Ken Weber: Work in a fashion museum.
If I had a superpower, I’d want it to be…
Ken Weber: The ability to fly. Airline tickets are way too expensive and there are too many places in Europe I still need to visit.
A simple way to get people to laugh is easy. Just…
Ken Weber: laugh at yourself.
A phrase I might overuse would be…
Ken Weber: Oh Lordy. I also say Goodness.
My motto? Easy. It is…
Ken Weber: Take it day-by-day.
Favorite scent these days is…
Ken Weber: Valentino. I love the freshness of it. I’m not a fan of the woodsy, camp fire scents.
The handsome essential you’d have to pry out of my cold, dead hands is…
Ken Weber: I’ve never been one for an extreme handsome regimen I’ll use a product for a while, then move on to the next one….usually whatever is gifted to me or found in a VIP swag bag. I will say, I do love Natura Bissé products.
A celebrity I would prank phone call and what I would ask them is…
Ken Weber: If there was a hotline to heaven, I would call Joan Rivers and ask her if her refrigerator is running.
An artist whose work I would collect (or like to collect) is…
Ken Weber: Takashi Murakami.
In my fridge, you will always find…
Ken Weber: Cheese….always cheese.
My favorite beverage these days is…
Ken Weber: It’s been a French 75 for years.
On my tombstone, it will likely say…
Ken Weber: Ken Was Everyone’s Friend (except that heinous woman from Facebook Marketplace…she knows who she is).
My perfect day would end…
Ken Weber: With a restful sleep.
