Watch: Madame Coco brings style and quality to Dennistoun with her vintage boutique

Nestled in a quaint olive unit just beyond the turn for Hillfoot Street in the centre of Dennistoun is Madame Coco, a boutique specialising in sophisticated vintage garments and one of the newest additions to Glasgow’s burgeoning second hand retail sector. From everyday camisoles to workout basics to statement pieces to cocktail attire, from glass blown broaches to beaded scarves, from ceramic teacups to hand painted coasters, the shop’s inventory is diverse and impressive with style and elegance characterising each item.

Ewelina Piotrowska opened Madame Coco in summer of 2024 fulfilling a personal passion. She aims not just to offer garments but also uphold customer service, seeking to understand her customers fashion desires and work to help achieve them.

Ewelina said: “The difference between what I am doing and what I believe the majority of second hand shops are doing is that I never buy a bag of items without knowing what is inside. I go to those recycling warehouses and I hunt through every single item, I inspect every piece to ensure there’s no stains or holes, nothing scruffy.

“It must be of good quality, nice, chic, elegant, stylish and interesting. The quality is so important. I am obsessed with quality these days because it has become more and more difficult to find garments of goof quality. The vast majority of mainstream chains bring to their shops polyester, nylon, acrylic or so called ‘blends’ - and then you can’t even read from the tag what fabric it is. Fabric is what makes quality. It must be cotton, silk, wool for winter. My garments must be well made, well tailored, and they must be interesting.

“When I was growing up I wanted to wear nice garments because they always made me feel better, and I can tell the same about my customers. When they enter the boutique and react. That is exactly what I wanted to achieve. I put my life experience and background into this business, I had to read and learn about materials and now I’ve brought that knowledge here.

“My style and inspiration comes mostly from French and Italian fashion. Whatever they produce is always interesting and desirable. One of the most interesting women in fashion for me is Coco Chanel and she is the reason I decided to call the boutique Madame Coco. That name symbolises not only her particular style but also chicanes and elegance.

“Many customers come in ahead of an event or party and are looking for an outfit. That’s a real joy for me because even if I don’t have something available for everyone at the time they often put their trust in me that I can bring them something interesting. I talk to them and ask what they like, I often get them to try a few things to get an idea of their style and silhouette and size. So I do my own research on them. Some may say they have a skirt and need a top to go with it, so I tell them to bring it in then I help them. Customers love that.”