For 11 years Jess Pisanelli has been selling vintage fashion at one of Australia's most famous outdoor markets.
Pisanelli says she was "devastated". Over the years her market stall had become so much more than a way to make money. The community and social connection, as well as the relationships she built with customers, had become a fundamental part of her life. "It's incredibly time-consuming and not scalable," she says. "At the markets, I get to meet my customers, understand what they're looking for, and help them find the perfect piece. It's an important aspect of my business and it's just not possible online.""It was such a relief to be back," says Pisanelli. "It was so lovely to catch up with all the stallholders, locals and regulars. It felt like we never left.
But Mattioli believes they maintain an important social role. "For many people, markets are a way of life. There can be tight-knit connections with some and even conflict and competition with others," he says. "Markets will not only be different because some of their sections are closed," he says. "There are entire populations who won't be there."Michael Matezic has been selling handmade leather belts at Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market for four decades.Yet with Melbourne still in lockdown, more than half the market has closed as a result of coronavirus restrictions. Only the food and drink sections are currently open.
His son Sam, who grew up in and around the market, is now 38 and has taken over the business. They sit together to chat with me over the phone.Sam tells me he fell in love with the market: "It gave me the opportunity to work with my Dad, who I highly admire for his hard work and enthusiasm. I look up to him and I just want to continue his success. I believe the only way I can do that is at the Vic Markets.
Her right arm?