10 Instagram accounts of fashion archives to follow

Fashion archives are the past, present and future of fashion when looked from the right perspective. In the era of digitalization, where (almost) everything can be found if you search, you don't need to make huge efforts to get to explore this special and nostalgic part of the industry.

The unofficial archives of brands like Prada, Celine, Gucci, Dior and many others can be found on Instagram, accessible to everyone. There are many accounts, managed by creative minds with a strong knowledge of the brand, who carefully collect photographic artifacts, advertising campaigns, lookbooks and shots from the catwalks, belonging to the history of the brands. They become real secondary profiles that celebrate the history of fashion brands, designers and creative directors, highlighting the changes in aesthetics and trends.

To understand the current collections of a historic brand, there is no better tool than the archive, which contains the stylistic identity over time. The young creative directors, like the newly appointed Kim Jones for Fendi and Dior Homme, Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton, Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta, study in depth the old successes to create a new image consistent with the brand without straying from values ​​of the maison, while bringing their own taste and talent. This is how @oldprada, @oldcèline, @mcqueenvault were born and these are just some of the IG profiles that, for people  without direct access to the official archives, become a real luxury.

Here are the 10 Instagram accounts to follow immediately for a full immersion in the history of fashion.

@prada.archive

The evolution of Prada's identity is visible scrolling through the galleries of accounts like @prada.archive, @prada.amore and @oldprada, in whose bio a shares a quote of Miuccia Prada, symbol of female emancipation: We can be strong and feminine at the same time... women carry all the weight now. And don't forget about @whatmiuccia, entirely dedicated to the icon of the maison and her "uniforms".

@oldceline

Since 2018 Phoebe Philo left her role to the creative direction of the French brand to Hedi Slimane, causing a huge rift between the old fans of the brand and the new followers of the Celine style, without accent. Céline promoted a real lifestyle, considered “the style women want to wear” and gave life to the phoebephyles community. The account @oldceline celebrates the myth of Philo, including catwalks, campaigns and covers of the decade 2008-2018, creating a meeting place for a nostalgic community.

@tomfordgucci

"If it wasn't by Tom Ford, is it even Gucci?" The provocative description of the account @tomfordforgucci, with more than 28K followers. Celebrating the period between 1990 and 2004 when the American designer directed the brand towards the pinnacle of sensual and glossy femininity, the page collects precious archive images produced by the skilled eye of Mert Alas and Mario Testino, the legacy of the brand then left to Frida Giannini and to the creative genius of Alessandro Michele.

@mcqueen_vault

Alexander McQueen has always had an artistic approach to his creations: the history of costume, art, the future and haute couture come together in the collections where the designer mixed the Victorian imagery with the sanguine story of the events of Scottish history. In his world, alien figures wear dizzying shoes, the famous armadillo shoes. The @mcqueen_vault archive profile promotes a visionary designer who passed away too soon. A real source of knowledge and inspiration for young fashion enthusiasts.

@diorinthe2000s

The French maison has a double identity: if one side preserves the elegant heritage of the Parisian master couturier Christian Dior, the other is more extravagant and experimental. Since 1997, when John Galliano replaces Gianfranco Ferrè at the creative direction of the brand, Dior has changed its face. The designer's coup de theater leaves their mark on the audience but above all on today's fashion. The accounts @diorinthe2000s and @gallianoarchive collect the most unforgettable moments.

@cdgarchive

Japanese with a sarcastic echo to European culture, Rei Kawakubo brought a wave of freshness to the collective imagination, taking inspiration from the material creations of the master Cristobal Balenciaga. The Japanese designer launches a real movement, defined as anti-fashion by many, because it is far from glossy magazines and closer to art and transcendence. His successor to the management, designer Junya Watanabe carried out this mission. Comme des Garcons is celebrated by many accounts, like @cdgarchive.

@balenciaga_files

Even before Demna Gvasalia came to overturn the rules and bring his visionary imprint to Balenciaga, two figures have shaped the history of the brand, since its origins back in 1917, and are celebrated by the account @balenciaga_files. Cristóbal Balenciaga, founder of the brand who moved from Spain to Paris, and the rest is history. Since 1997, with the arrival of Nicolas Ghesquiere, a new chapter has opened: Nicolas created the new face of the brand, without ever losing its fundamentals.

@datewithversace

The Italian brand exported to America in the 1980s that dressed the most popular celebrities in the world of fashion, music and cinema. Versace. With its divine aura, the Medusa has been creating and shaping trends for decades. The Instagram profile @datewithversace celebrates the Italian brand's past and present, from Gianni Versace, founder of the brand, among the first to understand the importance of models and to celebrate the ones we now call supermodels, to the iconic Donatella Versace.

@chanel_archives

The Instagram account @chanel_archives is a tribute and an immersion in the historical period of Karl Lagerfeld at the head of Chanel. Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and the supermodels of the time that tread the colorful catwalks, advertising campaigns, accessories and looks, unforgettable moments, are all collected on this social account just like in a precious memory album.

@margiela.archive

Maison Margiela, as well as its founder Martin Margiela, are narrated through the images of the Instagram profile @margiela.archive. Icon and reference of avant-garde fashion, among the first to work on the concept of deconstruction and to give a deep meaning to their creations, he rejected the idea of ​​fashion as luxury and ostentation to devote himself instead to creativity, recovery and research of materials. An account to follow to discover the history of the brand and its mysterious founder. For lovers of the iconic tabi shoes, there are also accounts entirely dedicated to their history, like @margielatab1.