There is a fundamental problem with fashion. With a demoralising dependency on a culture of consumption, the current system of fashion has forced us into a culture of excess where we’re drowning in our own material waste. Many have forgotten the emotional value of clothing, reducing fashion to something disposable, dispensable and ultimately worthless. Contrasting this system is archival fashion, which utilises a much more thoughtful and considered approach to consumption. Beyond its connotations of cultural capital, what if archive fashion had the ability to rewire our understanding of the consumption system? And how would this, in turn, help us to imagine an alternative fashion narrative?
In the literal sense, the term “archive fashion” is used to identify garments of significance in a designer’s career. Similar to an artist’s retrospective, archival pieces represent important moments in a designer’s history that encapsulate their identity, ethos and style. But since the term has found its way into mainstream discourse, co-opted by individual tastes, “archive fashion” is now much more ambiguous in its meaning. In the words of Oliver Leone, the archivist behind @yourfashionarchive, “wearing an archive designer piece tells the world that you have a deeper interest in fashion than just the aesthetic, that you appreciate the history of a designer and the many facets of their career.” The rarity of archival fashion, however, drives a fervent desirability that makes pieces iconic for both their story and their exorbitant price tag. With some pieces selling at price points in the thousands, it may seem to be an approach to fashion consumption that is inaccessible to most. So, how can we understand the values of archival fashion to promote a more considered fashion system if we aren’t willing – or simply unable – to spend the cash?
Looks from Jean Paul Gaultier scanned from the “L’Officiel 1000 Models“ Issue 31. Images Courtesy of @copmeifyoucan.
Upon closer examination of archive fashion, one can discover thriving communities of enthusiasts who find it to be a more fulfilling relationship with fashion. It has birthed an obsessive love for uncovering new knowledge, finding old campaigns and spending an incredible amount of time hunting down the rarest pieces. Most exciting of all, archive devotees are sharing their knowledge and discoveries online. Alongside @yourfashionarchive, accounts such as @disruptive.berlin and @prada.archive are sharing some of the most obscure and fascinating magazine spreads, runway shots, garments and designer stories. With such an incredible bank of references at the very tip of our fingers, we as consumers are able to make informed and tasteful decisions when it comes to buying clothes – whether that’s at an up-market archival store or at your local thrift store. “High fashion has always been an exclusive sport,” explains Oliver Leone, “it’s a privilege to be able to choose clothes because of their artistic value over their practical use. The good thing, however, is that often high fashion designers are inspired by garments that are accessible for the average consumer.” Rather than the Raf Simons bomber jacket from the 2001 ‘Riot! Riot! Riot!’ collection that sold for $47,000 (yes, you read that right), you could thrift similar vintage military pieces that Simons would’ve been inspired by. Taking these references into account when it comes to consumption, we are able to have a much more selective approach, building a wardrobe that we can have an emotional relationship with. This turns archival fashion into a philosophy, a state of mind, an attitude.
In the current fashion paradigm we claim to be obsessed with the future; but it largely overlooks an alternate, emotional approach to consumption. Archive fashion is based on an ethos of collecting, wearing, caring and re-wearing. If we are able to apply the philosophy of archive fashion – a philosophy of consideration, passion and discovery – to our day-to-day life, we would find ourselves in a much more rewarding relationship with fashion. As the archive fashion community grows, Oliver Leone believes that “more consumers will shift to thinking about the longevity of their purchases [archival or not] not just on an aesthetic level but on a functional one too.” Buying clothing in this way can enable us to build emotional attachments with our garments, perceiving them as “pieces” rather than something as simple as a material object. Another enthusiast who believes in the philosophy of archive is Leon Teke, the Berlin-based collector and seller behind @copmeifyoucan – the online Instagram shop that stocks vintage pieces from runway Jean Paul Gaultier to the celebrated 2000s Miu Miu. “[Archive fashion] helped me to develop my personal taste, recognise quality garments when I see them, save money and be less influenced by short-lived trends,” explains Teke, “it [teaches] you appreciate your purchases longer and helps you to consume more sustainably.” A few months back, among a number of other Berlin-based sellers, Leon was involved in an archival pop-up at Soho House Berlin. Being primarily an online community, having the chance to experience archival fashion in the physical space allows for exciting exchanges and inspiring encounters. For Leon, a seller who works from his home, the “personal connections to others in this space is what makes it worthwhile and fulfilling.” The community surrounding archive fashion thrives on a desire for knowledge and discovery; things that cannot happen without interpersonal connections.
When I see such a collaborative, knowledge-driven community, it brings me to question what the “wider” fashion community would look like if it adopted the same attitudes and principles presented by archive fashion. If we were to have a more intimate attachment to our clothes (archival or simply secondhand), a better understanding of where they have come from and the story behind them, how would our approach to consumption change? I believe the philosophy of archive fashion has the potential to encourage a move towards a fashion system in which the exchange of knowledge and ideas is paramount. It can encourage us to redefine our attitude towards consumption, rethink the way in which we appreciate design and reconsider what the future of fashion could look like.