Major fashion houses’ magnificent archives have always served as a source of inspiration for designers; nevertheless, during fashion month, we witnessed a real retro resurrection on the spring/summer 2022 catwalks. Consider Virginie Viard of Chanel, who paid homage to the ’90s with pastel pink tweed and midriff-baring little skirts, or Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior, who drew inspiration from Marc Bohan’s tenure at the French design house during the ’60s.
At Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli debuted the Valentino Archive project as Zendaya modelled five replica items that also appeared in the spring/summer 2022 collection. The historic pieces were painstakingly chosen from the 1960s and 1970s. Following the introduction of a partnership with resale website The RealReal last year, Gucci Vault saw the Italian brand offer its own vintage pieces for the first time.
“The fascinating thing about this season is that so many of the collections have been directly inspired by their own archives,” Marie Blanchet, the creator of Mon Vintage, tells Vogue. “Brands are becoming more aware of the value of history as they chart their course for the future.
The rise in popularity of secondhand shopping over the past few years is reflected in the comeback of vintage. Certainly, interest in vintage is rising, and this development has accelerated since the Covid-19 epidemic, according to Blanchet. People increasingly value meaningfulness, tales, quality, and our history, roots, and earth.
A significant aspect is the urge to purchase more ethically, since many of us want to lessen the environmental impact of our wardrobes. Shrimpton Couture founder Cherie Balch asserts that “the conversation about sustainability is becoming more and more relevant, and vintage is a part of that.” Some designers, in my opinion, may seek to profit from the fact that their customers are actively purchasing more antique clothing.
Retro trends on the catwalk may also expose vintage to a whole new generation. “It’s almost impossible not to know where pieces you see on the runway originated from when it’s all over social media almost instantly after,” says Balch. “This attracts more customers to vintage since, despite the new collections’ resemblance to vintage equivalents, their prices are still in line with high-end luxury retail prices today. More consumers are drawn to vintage because they want to reproduce the styles from the runway at a price they can possibly afford.
In fact, during the last two months, searches for vintage Prada and Valentino have both increased by 20% and 42%, respectively, on The RealReal. The dramatic Fendace switch-up during Milan Fashion Week is likely to blame for the 315 percent increase in searches for Fendi tiny skirts.
Reissuing coveted “holy grail” items by fashion firms can occasionally be detrimental to the vintage market. A highly regarded fashion historian recently raised the concern that it would diminish the value of originals owned by upscale private collectors and institutions, says Balch.
Clearly marking any imitation items is essential, so. The vintage specialist says, “Each [Valentino replica] piece is clearly labelled inside with the photo of the original, so there is no question of where the garment came from.” “I believe that is what needs to be done if you are going to recreate things exactly.”
From an environmental standpoint, it’s obvious that more companies are embracing vintage; going forward, we can anticipate more businesses following Gucci’s lead and assuming direct ownership of their archival items. In conclusion, Balch says, “I think it’s great for the person who wants to do a one-stop-shop at their favourite brand.” I think it’s a terrific idea whenever more people are exposed to vintage.
