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Archival fashion is hotter than ever thanks to high-profile celebrity pulls, like Zendaya’s jaw-dropping Autumn/Winter 1995 Thierry Mugler robot suit for the Dune: Part Two premiere and Kendall Jenner’s Givenchy AW99 gown, designed by Alexander McQueen, at the 2024 Met Gala. Following Miley Cyrus’s beaded Bob Mackie dress at the Grammys, The RealReal saw a 150 per cent increase in searches for the designer.
However, those flames may not be reaching vintage sellers who have curated their collections for years — and who stylists turn to in order to source these pieces. According to the sellers that run both digital and brick-and-mortar businesses, and experts within the secondhand market, budgets are being squeezed and more brands are making moves to bring their archives in-house.
Millie Adams, founder of Studded Petals Vintage, has seven years of experience selling unique designer finds to high-profile clients including Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Addison Rae. Adams believes the archival boom has, thus far, had an overall positive effect on her small business, leading to an increase in stylists approaching her. Yet, she has experienced a rise in recent months of celebrity stylists offering payment in the form of exposure, instead of purchasing or renting garments for their clients as they usually would. “I’m still surprised every time I hear a celebrity stylist tell me they don’t have any budget for clothing loans,” says Adams.
Mark Baylis, owner of Inner Sanctum Vintage, has been a staple of London’s Portobello Road Market scene for over four decades. Baylis says he’s also dealing with stylists’ strains. “They don’t have the same understanding of the business anymore, or the budgets, so I tend to avoid them.” Baylis primarily sells to fashion houses and dedicated collectors instead, but acknowledges that not all sellers have that ability, as many rely on stylist pulls to raise their profiles.
According to London-based stylist Michael Miller, the budget issue ultimately stems from the studios and streamers who hire him to dress their client. “[They] don’t even give me enough budget to pay myself fairly,” he says. Miller, who has styled Jared Leto, Nicholas Galitzine and Louisa Harland, continued to say that hiring or purchasing vintage pieces therefore doesn’t cross his mind. “Those that can are in a very privileged position to do so.”
In a recent interview for Extra TV, celebrity stylist and image architect Law Roach revealed that the archival Givenchy Spring/Summer 1996 couture gown worn by Zendaya at the 2024 Met Gala had been purchased, not loaned, from Beverly Hills-based sellers Lily et Cie. Discussing the process, Roach revealed, “Oh [we] buy.” He continued to explain that, in both his and Zendaya’s eyes, “We’re really supporting small businesses, and I think it’s unfair to borrow things from people who use those clothes as their livelihoods.”
Earlier this spring, Goodwood Revival, the motor event hailed for its focus on vintage style, brought together a group of secondary market experts for its ‘Future of Vintage Summit’ to discuss the challenges traders are currently facing. Each in-person trader present revealed they had endured a significant drop in sales to design houses in recent years following the economic impacts of Covid, and the cost of living crisis.
The consensus of the summit was that budgets are not being allocated — or not stretching far enough — to support the individuals who have silently inspired style for decades.
Luxury brands, however, often reap the benefits of big archival moments. Retail intelligence company Edited found that SKU sell-outs for Mugler rose 45 per cent year-on-year for third-party sites based in the US in February, following Zendaya’s robotic triumph. The same can be said for secondhand marketplaces: The RealReal witnessed a 155 per cent boost in searches for “Mugler” the day following the premiere.
Jocelyn Wilksinon, associate director at Boston Consulting Group and former responsibility programme director at Burberry, believes that utilising archives can help build brand equity, reaffirm historic credentials and, most crucially, reach new audiences. “A celebrity wearing an archive piece at the Oscars or the Grammys is a smart way for a fashion brand to reach the Gen Z audience, who we know are already receptive to the idea of wearing secondhand pieces,” explains Wilkinson.
Founders of online collective Known Source Theo El-Kattan and Henry McNeill-Njoku note that the fashion houses currently forging the most frequent archival appearances on the red carpet, “are those that have taken the most care with their own archives”. Adding context to Jenner’s historical pull for the 2024 Met, Givenchy explained that the gown from 1999 had been held in their brand archives since its conception and would return following the outing.
Availability issues
The taboo surrounding purchasing secondhand garments may be waning, but diminishing resources as the industry saturates is leading to complications for sellers such as Kim Hersov, owner of The Quaintrelle. The curator, who provided several outfits for popular movie Saltburn, explains that, “It is becoming more difficult to find the beautiful vintage pieces as there is limited availability and a growing demand. One needs to constantly be on the lookout for special pieces.”
“The secondhand market is quite saturated,” El-Kattan and McNeill-Njoku add, elaborating that sellers may find it a struggle to sell items, “unless [they] drop the prices hugely”.
Andrea Cheong, consumer expert and author of Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear, believes that the desire of fashion houses for control over their items may be posing an obstacle for sellers and shoppers alike. While seeking to expand her personal secondhand wardrobe, Cheong was informed by the antique dealers on London’s Portobello Road and Camden Passage that luxury brands had been buying back items, “because they wanted to protect their reputation”.
Circular fashion expert and strategic business partner at luxury resale site Hardly Ever Worn It Rachel Reavley adds that, “Of course, brands can’t buy back every single item.” Reavley further observes that the existence of the secondhand market comes from the firsthand market. It must be viewed as a symbiotic relationship. “I can understand why some houses want to take control. It’s how you do it. Otherwise it can feel like you’re trying to shut down something that is actually a really important future-facing part of the retail industry.”
As for what can be done to improve current experiences, El-Kattan and McNeill-Njoku suggest fashion houses collaborate with sellers in a more public way: “[By] telling the stories of the brand through the eyes of dealers to showcase its cultural value.”
Cheong agrees that fashion houses have the power to advocate for the secondhand stockists they work alongside. “The onus is on those who are front and centre — whether that’s the creative director or the marketing director,” she says. “It’s a visibility thing.”
Furthermore, the Digital Product Passport (DPP) will soon be a necessity for every textile item sold within the EU, detailing information on the origin of the garment and its supply chain. “While you can’t retrospectively go and label your archives, highlighting the data will give people confidence to shop secondhand more in the future,” Cheong continues, suggesting how brands may be able to support vintage sellers and the authentication process in coming decades. Reavley agrees, adding that, “To me, there is a huge opportunity there for wanting to see the upside of being collaborative in resale.”
The Costume Institute’s 2024 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art — ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ — alongside the Met Gala, supported and produced numerous archival moments. And with the Cannes Film Festival promising further red carpet opportunities, the archival trend is likely to continue in its pursuit for growth. As Cheong says, “This is a really exciting opportunity to highlight ‘old’ clothing, especially for people who still need their minds changed.”
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