Vintage Rising:

80's Power

Which designer is the most emblematic of the era for you? 

Because of the diversity of talent across the 1980s, it’s tricky to mark out just one figure. However I think the ultimate designer to emerge in the 80's for me was Azzedine Alaïa: he managed to be couture but also cult. 

Which vintage pieces are worth investing in today? 

The 1980s are characterised by sharp tailoring with the decade’s signature wide shoulders, intricate leather - which suddenly became a fashion fabric - high-octane evening wear and brightly-coloured jewellery and accessories. They all still have a relevance today.

Which pieces sum up the 1980s for you and why?

This lightweight aluminium chain-mail was originally used in aeronautical engineering - Gianni Versace discovered it, called it Oroton, and used it to create sensuous evening dresses. This dress is very right for now - chain-mail is still a modern way of wearing glitter at night, and it cropped up all over the Spring 2020 collections.

Claude Montana was the ultimate 1980s designer: this piece is quintessential Montana, with cowboy-boot detailing quilted into the shoulders, emphasising the top-heavy silhouette.

Azzedine Alaïa’s career was made, in part, by these studded gauntlets that became a fashion fetish item in the early 1980s and demonstrated his unique use of leather alongside functional details as decoration. They were worn by Catherine Deneuve in the movie The Hunger.

Christian Lacroix defined an entirely different side of the 1980s: playful, colourful, sexy and frivolous. This handbag is a perfect example of his style - and I love that super 1980s thing of a woman dressed in black with brightly-coloured accessories.

Pieces by Jean Paul Gaultier will become vintage gold dust following his retirement in January: this is a key piece from his winter 1987 collection that still feels fresh and singular.

What do you love about selling on Vestiaire Collective?

It’s the only site that mixes newer pieces with vintage, and the entire spirit of the community is about listening to sellers, valuing the work we do in sourcing these pieces, and passing on our love and passion for fashion and its rich cultural history.

Which designers represent their era best for you?

Paco Rabanne. He revolutionised fashion by mixing materials into new and previously unexplored forms. His creations are more like sculptures or pieces of art than simply fashion. I also love John Galliano’s Dior; he designed living paintings with his clothes, and his creative approach is both enormously rich and completely unique. For me, these two designers are nothing short of artists.

Which vintage pieces are worth investing in today? 

For me, it’s anything Haute Couture, particularly handmade pieces that took an enormous amount of craftsmanship and time to construct. They contain not only hours of loving work, but also the knowledge and richness of French heritage that simply cannot be found anywhere else.