vintage

Quote of the day: Gauthier Borsarello



Cassie Mercantile vintage showroom in Esquire

“In the past, people would go to their tailor and have two suits made for the year. Ten shirts, a coat, a couple of pairs of shoes and that was it. I think people are coming back to this way of thinking and consuming, whether they’re buying new or vintage. I think, to be honest, people are tired of all the shit out there.”
Vintage expert, Gauthier Borsarello, Esquire

This is a great feature in the recently redesigned UK print edition of Esquire. (more…)



On my radar: a cache of vintage Judith Leiber minaudieres for sale



Judith Leiber minaudiere Lot 184 Christies bags and accessories sale 2017

I bet you didn’t have me down as a Judith Leiber kind of girl. But I have a secret thing for these teeny tiny kitsch crystal-covered minaudieres. They’re like pieces of jewellery really, there’s no way you’re getting more than a lipstick and a pound coin in there.

Judith Leiber started her company in New York in 1963, an émigré from Budapest who designed handbags in her head to get her through the misery of living in one room with 26 others during WW2. (more…)



Retail report: Come on over to Coach House, London



Coach House London flagship store

If you’ve strolled through Oxford Circus Station lately, you’ll know there’s a new Coach store in town. The giant billboard and video ads along the tunnel walkways and up the escalator are a good giveaway. If not, the neon dinosaurs lighting up its Regent Street windows may well lure you in. (more…)



Vintage Coach repurposed



Coach Vintage at Barneys. Vintage Coach bags sourced by Coach, repurposed and sold in a collaboration with Barneys

You know a heritage brand is on the up again when fans start to clamour for its vintage numbers. It happened with Gucci, it’s probably happening with Coach and I imagine it will happen with DKNY.

When a classic brand goes through a downturn and then an upswing, it creates a new swell of interest around it. So with Gucci, suddenly all the buzz around Alessandro Michele had people scouring their lofts and closets for long-neglected snaffle loafers and printed scarves. Online consignment site Vestiaire Collective already did a brisk business in selling pre-loved Gucci, but the renewed interest has brought a whole new rush of customers on the hunt for pre-Michele Gucci (more…)