How archive fashion became the hottest ticket for “It” girls in 2023
“Museum quality archival Alaïa” beams Miley Cyrus in the opening moments of the British Vogue video where she breaks down some of her best looks. While if you’re not familiar with the world of archive fashion those words will probably just sound like gobbledygook, Cyrus is tapping into what is arguably one of 2023’s biggest trends: donning iconic pieces of clothing from the archives of equally iconic designers. For a long time, it was en-vogue for celebs to wear pieces fresh off the runway as well as custom-made looks. Recently, however, it’s been even cooler to swap out the new for the old. At this year’s Met Gala, which honoured the work of Karl Lagerfeld, Dua Lipa opted for a gown from Chanel’s Fall 1992 Haute Couture collection. Archive pieces were also a dominating presence at this week’s Fashion Awards, with celebs like Iris Law and Charlie XCX stepping out in pieces by Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier, respectively. Plus, stylist Law Roach’s work with Zendaya is built around pulling extravagant gowns from 00s Versace and 90s Bob Mackie, to name just a few. Basically, the proof is in the pudding: everyone loves archive fashion. But why is that the case?
One of the most alluring things about archive fashion is that it’s more sustainable. The fashion industry is thought to be responsible for a huge 10% percent of global CO2 emissions, and archive fashion is a remedy to that. “I think celebrities today are more conscious than ever about using their platform to champion sustainable fashion,” Christelle, stylist and owner of My Runway Archive, tells HUNGER. Describing herself as more of an “archivist as opposed to a reseller”, her pieces have been worn by Iris Law, Dua Lipa and Cardi B, among others.
What’s born out of an industry caught up in an insatiable desire for gain is not only environmental damage, but a trend cycle that’s simply impossible to keep up with. The hordes upon hordes of microtrends we bore witness to this year — ones often wielded by fashion retailers as a selling point — are a testament to that. But opting for timeless silhouettes from the archives is a bold step in the opposite direction that signals you know not to get bogged down in styles that won’t be relevant in a few weeks. For Christelle, they’re a better investment anyway: “Everything being released now is more or less a replica of an earlier design, and who wants the replica when you could have the original?”
What is clear from some of the better microtrends of 2023 — tomato girls and succubus chic, which borrow heavily from 90s aesthetic — is that we’re all feeling a bit nostalgic. Once again, archive pieces are the answer. “Even if they are not in the market for buying pieces, people love a good throwback. People want to see outfits worn by celebrities 20 years ago and compare it to what’s being worn today. The internet went crazy when Apple Martin re-wore the Alexander McQueen gown her mother wore to the Oscars in 2002.”
What exactly are people nostalgic for when they fawn over images of 90s Prada runways? A better time? The days before TikTok and knowing what a “girl dinner” is? Undoubtedly, yes. Also, though, there’s a certain nostalgia for the quality of the clothing: they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. “What sets apart archive clothing from contemporary fashion is the attention to detail in its construction and tailoring” adds Ivana, the owner of Anteactus, which she describes as a “collection of wearable rarities.” Christelle echoes this: “designs were better than they are now. The pieces were higher quality and materials were more luxurious”.
Add that all together and it’s no surprise that popping on something that you first saw in a grainy image on the Vogue website is a signal: one that the hottest “It” girls are scrambling to tap into to solidify their esoteric, cool status. Iris Law is a perfect example of this. “I adore working with Iris” says Christelle. “You can see she lives and breathes fashion, and she has a really strong sense of her style”. Addison Rae too chooses archival pieces that function as an extension of her branding. Positioning herself as a campy pop princess, calling back to their heyday in the early 00s, she finds pieces from designers that were staples of the era: silly bits from Moschino and silky dresses by Roberto Cavalli. Christelle even has fun by “sending her pieces worn by Britney back in the day”.
For the cool girls, it’s a competition to find the rarest and most iconic pieces, and this makes archive fashion into a hot commodity. No-one is affected more by this than the collectors and sellers of this kind of clothing: “It has become a lot more difficult to source pieces compared to when I started collecting seven years ago,” says Christelle. “Pieces wouldn’t sell out in seconds and orders wouldn’t be cancelled because someone else had offered a higher price”. For her, these kinds of changes are symptomatic of the amount of people “setting up vintage businesses purely with the aim of straight reselling”. It’s a familiar story, with resale culture having already had a detrimental effect on the world of streetwear. Not only does it shunt out archivists like Christelle, but the regular consumer too. While at one point it was possible for anyone with a little know-how to scour the depths of eBay and Vestiaire Collective and find, as Cyrus puts it, “museum quality archive” for a steal, the reserves are now dry.
Ultimately, it’s hard to take issue with something that celebrates the best bits about fashion, while trying to move away from the worst. It might now be harder to source the pieces that were once more widely available, but they are still out there, and at some point they’ll be found and appreciated again. Earlier this year, Christelle found the Dior newsprint gown which Miss Carrie Bradshaw wore a mini-version of. A similar version is selling for over £100,000 on 1st Dibs. “I’m holding onto that with the hope that someone fabulous wears it to the Met Gala” she says. “Only that would do the dress justice”.
