Re-Editions Are The New Vintage

There is a "new" vintage and I'm not referring to those who make replicas of old garments from other periods to propose them as if they were brand new. There is also an authentic new vintage, with re-editions of clothes produced by the same fashion houses that created them many years before or that anyway are copies of archive items.

This new proposal of garments, shoes, handbags and more in the exact printing or colors as they were once, with a readjustment of silhouettes and sizes, is called generically vintage, but the more appropriate name is actually "re-edition".

Following flea markets, and vintage stores specializing in various eras, re-edition time has now started. This trend has been in the air for some time now. For years the renowned Parisian store Didier Ludot – a treasure trove for second-hand clothes by labels such as Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Givenchy, Balenciaga or Pucci – has been producing re-editions of outfits, especially in black, by various designers, creating a book called La Petite Robe Noir that was distributed in many stores worldwide.

Balenciaga, when Nicholas Ghesquière was appointed creative director of the maison started producing a series of re-editions of classic Cristobal Balenciaga staples. And also Prada had started a series of dresses, coats and accessories from past seasons giving the opportunity to get hold of outfits we might have missed.

Ferragamo has successfully re-launched shoes and handbags created by Salvatore Ferragamo for Carmen Miranda and other stars, besides wicker and Plexiglas bags showing their great skills in creating not only shapes, heels and wedges, but also in the use unexpected materials for that time.

Also Pucci re-proposes its original style creating a small collection of garments designed by the Marquis Emilio Pucci in the original colors and prints. Gucci has also proposed true re-editions like the Jackie O bag with bamboo handles, besides re-launching bags with floral prints that featured in her foulards in the 60s.

Cardin, speaking of this trend, has been the first to reproduce clothes from the 60s, that are incredibly trendy now for their colors and cuts. Diane von Furstenberg launched a true vintage collection that features her famous "wrap" dressed paired to bags and foulards. The prints and colors are countless for a dress that made her famous in the 70s, and today is still worn and coveted by young girls that had never seen them before, but also by those who used to buy them at that time, finding them sexy and comfortable.

Therefore, also vintage clothes from top and established brands have evolved. And adjusted to today's sizes look extremely modern and quite different from the collections we see on runways. Vintage has been enjoying for years a well-deserved reputation for those who wish to experiment with their individual style outside classic shopping standards.

Such re-editions are also an opportunity to search through designers' archives and find clothes or accessories seen only in old photographs. They are realized almost always in limited edition which, as for true vintage, guarantees a certain degree of exclusivity. And in our time, when everything is often so repetitive, that's saying a lot.