As I hurried from eBay’s Endless Runway show to the Oxfam X Vinted event on the first night of London Fashion Week, it struck me that this was a pivotal moment for pre-loved fashion. It’s a movement that has often been overshadowed during fashion month, but its presence was undeniable.
At the eBay show, models strutted down the circular runway – a symbol of circular fashion – adorned in pieces ranging from vintage Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen to Christopher Kane and Chopova Lowena. Editors furiously tapped away on their phones, eager to purchase the items directly from the front row via the resale platform’s app. Meanwhile, at the Oxfam show, British Vogue’s Julia Hobbs graced the catwalk in the original vintage banana-print top. This iconic piece, originally thrifted by stylist Bay Garnett for $5, was later worn by Kate Moss and inspired Phoebe Philo’s iconic Chloé designs during the Noughties. It’s a true piece of fashion history.
The question arises: why don’t we see more archival pieces on the runway? Bay Garnett, who styled the Oxfam show, explains, “Fashion has been predicated and driven by the selling of the ‘new’ and ‘trends’ – constructs to keep us buying, to create new desires.” From a brand’s perspective, the challenge lies in what they’re actually selling through these vintage pieces.
At the Roberto Cavalli show in Milan, models like Mariacarla Boscono, Alek Wek, Isabeli Fontana, and more, showcased archival designs as a tribute to the designer, who passed away in April at the age of 83. However, instead of launching a vintage offering, the brand opted for a new capsule collection called Zebra 2000, inspired by Cavalli’s signature animal print. Similarly, when Kim Kardashian curated vintage pieces for Dolce & Gabbana’s spring/summer 2023 show, they were reworked for a modern audience, rather than celebrating the pre-loved pieces themselves.
Of course, preserving these pieces of fashion history presents a challenge. This explains why we often see remakes on the red carpet and runway instead of the original museum-worthy garments. Alexis Novak, founder of Tab Vintage, notes, “I love seeing archival on the runway, [but] I assume we don’t see more archival pieces back on the runway because they may be too fragile to be worn again.”
For spring/summer 2022, Valentino recreated five vintage pieces from the ’60s and ’70s as part of their Valentino Vintage project, which allowed customers to exchange their own archival pieces at select vintage stores globally. Yet, designers like Tolu Coker demonstrate that incorporating past-season pieces into runway shows can become the norm. In her shows, the London-based designer consistently includes archival designs, often unnoticed, proving that it shouldn’t solely be about selling new products.
“This notion of newness, which is really pushed, can make that which people already have in their wardrobes be seen as obsolete,” she observes. “It’s a very intentional act to have pre-loved and archival pieces on the runway, because it reaffirms that messaging of more sustainable consumption.”
While the traditional fashion show model focuses on unveiling new collections each season, showcasing archival fashion on the runway reflects the way many of us shop today. As more and more brands, from Oscar de la Renta to Chloé, embrace resale, wouldn’t it be fantastic to see these pre-loved pieces on the catwalk?
“I would love to see designers either repurposing and reworking past collections into new items, or showing pieces from past seasons that feel new now,” Amy Bannerman, eBay’s pre-loved style director, suggests. “How cool would that be?!”
