Vintage To The Core

Put 90 vintage clothing vendors under one roof and I’m like a kid in a candy store.

One of my annual to-dos before fashion week is browsing the racks at the Manhattan Vintage Show. This year’s event was held on February 3rd & 4th at the Metropolitan Pavilion, and was nothing short of amazing.

The only shortcoming was the Christian Lacroix special exhibit. He’s got talent, but most of the pieces are from the 80s and 90s. Since when are the clothes from my generation considered vintage!?

Here’s a few photos from my recent venture. Stay tuned for my purchases on ‘Piece of the Week’.

Anna Wintour has a complete set of Vogue covers leather bound in her personal library. For the less fortunate, online is the place to go.

Vogue.com subscribes are able to search the full collection of magazine covers via the company’s online archive…which is mobile optimized as well.

If you don’t have an account with Vogue, the comic book treasure trove, coverbrowser.com, is an unexpected alternative. The Vogue archive is surprisingly well stocked and dates back to 1916.

My favorite is this iconic 1957 cover by renowned fashion photographer, Norman Parkinson. It’s titled “Autumn Fuchsia” and features none other than Audrey Hepburn. Naturally, I have a replica framed in room.

I wish I lived in an era where beautiful hats were part of a women’s daily wardrobe. Unfortunatly, fashion hats are a rarity now outside of horse races and Southern churches. Still, I can’t help but wonder what life would have been like to walk down 5th ave donning a nice pill box…without looking like I was on my way to a theme party.

I love this image of a classic Givenchy hat, photographed by Frank Horvat in 1957.

Although it’s hard to mess with a classic, here’s Anya Caliendo (couture milliner) take on the original for Novemember’s issue of International Vogue.

Here’s a shot of my favorite Christmas gift this year: a collection of antique jewelry packaged in a vintage Saks hat box.

Inspired to shop? Check out this list of the best hat shops in NYC according to Time Out New York.

If there’s one thing I love, it’s discovering new vintage shops. Too bad my latest discovery was over 3,500 miles away! Located in the El Born area of Barcelona (think Soho without the annoying tourists), Le Swing Vintage is notably one of the coolest shops in Spain.

From classic brands like Chanel, Vuitton, & St.Laurent, to retro-chic clothing from local designers, Le Swing offers an impressive assortment of antiques at boutique prices. My mom and I found some incredibly unique pieces like original 1920s headpieces, vintage leather camera bags and even an old-fashioned shaving kit for the guys. It must be true that good things come in pairs, because Le Swing’s sister store, Blow, is right around the corner.

Location:
C/ Rec, 16
Blow by Le Swing- C/ Bonaire, 6
08003 Barcelona
+34933101449

Hours:
Mon-Sat, 11:00-15:00 & 17:00-20:30

Mom channeling Audrey Hepburn

Le Swing Vintage Accessories