Vintage fashion is the new must-have of celebrities

Vintage fashion is the new must-have of celebrities. If before there were a few daredevils, it-girls with a well-defined style like Kate Moss or Chloë Sevigny, today more and more stars are winning the title of best-dressed of the moment by showing off archival outfits for red carpets and special events. The feed of our Instagram accounts is full of similar examples. The most recent featured Olivia Rodrigo who stunned everyone by showing up at the White House in a Clueless style suit from Chanel Spring/Summer 1995 collection, matched with an Amina Muaddi mini bag and Giuseppe Zanotti platform sandals.La moda vintage è il nuovo must-have delle celebrities. Bella Hadid graced the Cannes 2021 witha 2002 Jean Paul Gaultier dress and Zendaya paid homage to Beyoncé by picking a bold 2003 Versace look for the BET Awards, which Bey had already worn almost twenty years earlier at the same ceremony. During her Roman holyday, Kim Kardashian greeted her fans in Dolce & Gabbana SS95 animalier dress; for her first New York public date with A$ap Rocky Rihanna wore a hot pink slip dress created by John Galliano for the Dior SS02 collection; while Kylie Jenner wore a 1987 bodycon dress by Jean Paul Gaultier for her official reunion with Travis Scott.

Olivia Rodrigo in Chanel SS 1995

Bella Hadid in Jean Paul Gaultiere Couture SS 2002

Kim Kardashian in Dolce & Gabbana SS 1995

Zendaya in Versace SS 2003

Kylie Jenner in Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1987

Rihanna in Dior by John Galliano SS 2002

It's quite a long time ago that seeing Julia Roberts accepting the Oscar for Best Actress in an elegant old Valentino creation seemed to be a breakthrough choice. Since 2001, things have changed radically. In recent years, if a celebrity has to choose between a new couture piece or a beautiful one from Les Tatouages, Gaultier's cult 1994 collection, it is almost inevitable that she will opt for the latter. To dictate the trend, as often happens these days, are Kim Kardashian and her younger sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner. In addition to the Enfant Terrible of French couture, the American it-girls have a real passion for the archives of Mugler, Alaïa, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, for the period of John Galliano at Dior and of Tom Ford at Gucci, but also for the Versace collections of the 90s.

Jean Paul Gaultier FW 1995

Dior by John Galliano FW 2000

Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1994

90s Jean Paul Gaultier

Versace FW 1996

Jeremy Scott FW 2001

Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1996

Mugler SS 1994

Mugler Couture FW 1999

Alaïa FW 1991

Versace FW 1997

Versace SS 1996

Alexander McQueen SS 2004

Versace FW 1991

Alaïa FW 1991

But what turned a sporadic event into a major trend? The most obvious answer is sustainability. The awareness of how much the fashion industry is contributing to climate change has become mainstream, reaching not only the big designers, but also stylists who now, when they recommend an outfit to actresses and singers, find themselves considering the green factor as well. So Gucci has landed on the giant of luxury second hand The Real-Real, Miu Miu has launched the Upcycled collection made from clothes of the '30s and '80s and Lily-Rose Depp or Margot Robbie before facing the flashes of photographers have a new challenge: it is no longer enough that a dress is beautiful, fits perfectly to the silhouette or seems specially made to capture the attention of the press, in 2021 it must also be as eco-friendly as possible.  

Zendaya in 1982 Louis Vuitton Couture

Lily-Rose Depp in Chanel Couture SS 1993

Gwyneth Paltrow in Valentino Couture from 1963

Jennifer Anniston in Dior by John Galliano SS 1999

Cardi B in Mugler Couture FW 1995

Margot Robbie in Chanel Couture SS 1993

Natalie Portman in 1954 Dior

Jennifer Loper in vintage Valentino

Julia Roberts in Valentino Couture 1992

The real hallmark of vintage, however, is not sustainability, but uniqueness. Compared to a garment you just saw on the catwalk, it is rarer, more exclusive and more difficult to copy. In short, when you wear it, it's definitely hard to run into another star dressed like you.

Living in an era where social media has monetized every outfit, celebrities are turning to vintage as a way to individualize their style.

Alice Hebrard Lemaire, Head of Vintage at Vestiaire Collective, told Fashionista, expressing an opinion also shared by Seth Weisser, co-founder and CEO of New York-based vintage store What Goes Around Comes Around:

The rise of vintage on the red carpet can be attributed to more and more celebrities looking to have a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Vintage styles are often quite rare because they have been discontinued and that presents an incredible opportunity for celebrities to express their individual style.

When you wear archival fashion, there is also a kind of cultural currency exchange at play. A creation from past seasons offers a complete experience because you're not just buying the dress, you're buying a piece of fashion history, a work of art that, after being hidden away, forgotten in an archive, comes back to life and shines in the spotlight for anyone who chooses it. An iconic piece like the Mugler inspired by the Birth of Venus worn by Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards (which also helped bring the Maison back to life) has, therefore, numerous advantages: it is sustainable, unique and so exclusive that it fully embodies the idea of inaccessibility that has always been behind the concept of luxury.

Kendall Jenner in Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1994

Kendall Jenner in Jean Paul Gaultier SS 1999

Bella Hadid in Dior FW 2000

Bella Hadid in Vivienne Westwood FW 1991

Bella Hadid in Dior by John Galliano FW 2000

Bella Hadid in Vivienne Westwood FW 1990

Bella Hadid in Roberto Cavalli SS 2005

Dua Lipa in Versace SS 1999

Kylie Jenner in Chanel SS 1994

Kylie Jenner in 90s Jean Paul Gaultier

Kylie Jenner in Chanel SS 1996

Kylie Jenner in Versace SS 1991

Kendall Jenner in 90s Chanel

Cardi B in Jean Paul Gaultier FW 1995

Rihanna in Dior by John Galliano FW 2000

Rihanna in 80s Moschino

The new style choices of celebrities are also influencing shopping and the direction the market will take in the future. According to Stylight, after watching Bella Hadid at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival on Google, users' interest in searching for vintage clothing has grown by 25%; while according to a recent report by marketplace ThredUp, online used clothing is set to grow by 69% within the year and reach a value of $50 million in 2023. A boom so big that it is predicted that by 2028 pre-loved clothes will surpass Zara and the rest of fast fashion in our closets. We already witness the first effects of these predictions. Sites like Vinted and Vestiaire Collective, where to sell and buy accessories and pre-loved clothing, are increasingly popular and vintage influencers from @ilaria__ro to @thevintagetwin or to @themetalromantic. G-club favorite? American Lucia Zolea. Anyone who spends hours scrolling through Instagram in search of the perfect outfit will be charmed by the selection of pieces proposed on her IG.