The best way to score some of the rarest and coolest vintage designer threads today is no longer about making a trip to a thrift shop with fingers crossed. Instead, it’s to slide into someone’s DMs. Fashion is a constant cycle, and things that were once deemed fashionable 50 years ago are once again finding new fans in today’s shoppers. No surprise, given how much more aware we are of the impact that fast fashion has on the environment and the realisation that when it comes to good fashion, there is no such thing as an expiration date.
But unlike vintage shopping of the past – which often included a trip to a musty store, and plenty of prayers and fingers crossed as you rummage through the racks in hopes of landing some incredible find – today’s vintage shopper is looking to their Instagram app for archival Mugler and Alaia. To find the best Insta-shops peddling fabulous vintage designer pieces, you may want to start with this compilation.
Jerome Vintage is based in Denmark. Zoning in the very au courant look of minimalist, quiet luxury, it stocks a bevy of pieces that range from sleek Hermes shirts and cropped Yves Saint Laurent cardigans, to figure-skimming maxi dresses cut from rare vintage laces and Jean Paul Gaultier blouses. It also designs its own line of ready-to-wear clothes, but it’s in its racks of vintage pieces that you’ll find one-of-a-kind gems.
Rooted in Los Angeles, Happy Isles embodies that free-spirited, West Coast energy in its curation. Here, you’ll find vintage beaded frocks, boho-chic rompers, embroidered bolero jackets from Carolina Herrera and ultra-rare bias-cut dresses from John Galliano’s eponymous label. Be warned: you’ll have to act quickly if you want to get anything because it’s fastest fingers first
Paris has always been known to be a city that’s great for vintage fashion shoppers, so it’s no surprise that Parisian store Souvenir Vintage commands its fair share of regular customers. Here, you’ll find a mixture of high-end designers that name-check every major French designer in the ’80s and ’90s, to a bevy of well-curated unbranded pieces. The mix here is decidedly younger, with plenty of mini dresses, swingy skirts and poufy sleeves to tempt.
One of the OGs of the vintage fashion game, Resurrection is the place for fashion savants who are looking for pieces that are as eye-catching and iconic as they are rare. This means original Alaia dresses, Versace pieces designed by Gianni Versace, and samples from Alexander McQueen’s heydays.
Based in Copenhagen, DM the team at Paloma Vintage to secure your fave vintage finds. The mix here is pretty eclectic, which guarantees that you’ll find something that will speak to your own sense of style. Think ’70s-esque skirts from Celine, a Moschino jacket with cheeky door hinge fasteners, or ultra-cool leather jackets from the likes of Loewe and Yves Saint Laurent.
NINA GABBANA VINTAGE
Owned by Marie Laboucarie and based in New York City, Nina Gabbana Vintage prides itself on sourcing French designer vintage pieces. On that front, it does not disappoint. Peek into its feed to find incredible pieces from Karl Lagerfeld in his days at Chloe, Thierry Mugler confections, and gorgeously fragile silk pieces from Nina Ricci that date back to the ’80s. Plus, the team there is super friendly, and is always ready to dish out some fashion advice should you ever have a question on how to style certain trickier pieces.
Just because it is relaunching its website this month doesn’t mean you can’t shop the vintage offerings from It Already Existed. Scroll through its Instagram feed to find plenty of designer and unbranded but no less fabulous finds that they’ve lovingly sourced from around the globe. Whether it’s Escada flared pants, Celine sandals or ubiquitous 501 denims from Levi’s, they’ve got you covered.
At Strange Moon, it’s prairie chic through and through. The looks here slant towards a certain ’70s inspired, prairie chic look – think ruffled full-sleeve blouses, embroidered summer dresses, lots of balloon sleeves and Peter Pan collars. Everything stocked here is in pristine condition, so no suss yellow spots or stains on any of their white blouses and dresses either.
This article first appeared in Her World
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