I've had a long-term love affair with vintage, starting as a teen in flea markets right up to the accounts I follow on Instagram today. That's right, Instagram has become a major tool for selling, sourcing, and buying vintage and it's not hard to see why. People are tired of the same, they want to stick out, and people want to afford designer brands. Vintage ticks each of these boxes and using the visual tools of Instagram to share it seems like a perfect match. But curating a feed, sourcing the pieces, and building a digital community to buy them isn't easy to do—and many do it on their own. I asked Subrina Heyink, Ariane de Béchad, and Diane Kari—each founders of their own digital vintage boutiques—how they've built a career selling vintage, who influences them, and how Instagram was so key to their success.
WWW UK: How did you end up in a career in vintage?
SH: I started selling vintage to get rid of some of my personal items. It took shape over the months when I noticed that people loved my curation, it also helped that I loved hunting this down.
WWW UK: Where do you find your pieces?
SH: I don't think any vintage seller gives up this secret.
WWW UK: How has Instagram affected your business?
SH: Instagram unearthed the mystery of starting you own fashion business. A few years ago, I wanted to make my own clothes and ended up backing out because PR/marketing costs were so high and I didn't even know who would want my garments since I didn't even have an IG account at the time. Instagram has taught me so much about curating, merchandising, and holding your customers attention long enough to get your message across.
WWW UK: Why is vintage suddenly so popular again?
SH: I want to believe that it has solely to do with the rising conversations about the true cost of fast fashion, clothing waste, and global warming. Instagram has allowed people who wouldn't otherwise have conversations about how their clothing purchases affect those who make them. Another large part is, buying vintage affords exclusivity. You'd be hard pressed someone else walking down the street in the same vintage dress as you. And lastly, heritage brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Manolo Blahnik et al have always been unaccessible to the average person. With Instagram, these brands have become more attainable because of celebrities and Instagram influencers, people want to wear what they are wearing and buying vintage allows them that opportunity.
WWW UK: What are your favourite vintage pieces?
SH: I have these velvet and leather cut out Gucci open toe kitten heels shoes that I bought 18 months ago for $30. When I first bought them, I didn't wear them as much because my friends called them granny heels but they are so cute and comfortable. I had always wanted shoes like that but could never find them in my size so I held onto them. This season, I saw some designers make the exact same one in solid colors and now every time I wear them, I get compliments.
WWW UK: Who do you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
SH: I currently do not have a personal Instagram. I do however, look at Vogue Runway Archives daily before bed for inspiration on styling and what to keep an eye out for. It mostly makes me weep that I wasn't an adult in the 90s. The stuff from Prada, Alaïa, Calvin Klein and Ferre in that era were to die for.
WWW UK: Who are your favourite Instagram accounts for vintage?
SH: I love Los Feliz in Spain for the coolest rare vintage pieces. Nadia who owns the shop has amazing prices and her collections are so well curated. I love Passport Vintage in Austin for the best vintage jeans.
WWW UK: How do you curate your feed to ensure pieces look best?
SH: I gather images daily from Tumblr/Pinterest and style/shoot my clothes in ways that agree with those images. I do not have a style, it changes every few months because I get bored of the same look.
WWW UK: What are your favourite cities to shop for vintage?
SH: Miami, Paris in the summer, there is a killer thrift store in the Bronx I love.
WWW UK: How did you end up in a career in vintage?
ADB: I was working at Lanvin, as a Product Manager on jewelry & small accessories for five years. Vintage is a huge source of inspiration in fashion houses, so I was constantly looking for new vintage treasures in my favorite shops. [Imparfaite co-founder] Camille has more of a business background, she was working for L’Oreal, in sales & marketing for different brands.
I was already wearing a lot of vintage and Camille was sick of seeing me with great and unique clothes I had found for nothing. We realized that hunting in thrift shops takes time and dedication to spot the right item amongst tons of clothes. The idea with Imparfaite was to make vintage available online to everyone with a beautiful selection, enhanced by cool monthly lookbooks and an easy-to-navigate website.
WWW UK: Where do you find your pieces?
ADB: Imparfaite is a platform where our network of professional vintage resellers can register their best items. Our team of stylists makes sure each piece is in great condition and that everything is always on top of the trend. We add tens of new pieces every day, each of them carefully reviewed and selected.
WWW UK: How has Instagram affected your business?
ADB: Instagram is an important part of our business, it created a real community around Imparfaite. We communicate a lot on Instagram on new pieces, new collabs, new selections. This is also a privileged place to interact with our clients: they encourage us a lot but also give us feedback, suggestions and also critics to always do better. We really feel energized by them!
WWW UK: Why is vintage suddenly so popular again?
ADB: Women are looking for uniqueness and quality. I think we are getting sick of being dressed the same and sick of bad quality that never last. We also truly think that women are looking for emotions even when they buy clothes. Vintage reminds them of the clothes worn by their own mothers in their childhood. We all have this beloved item we stole from our mother or our grandmothers, this dress or this jacket that still smell like their perfume. These items resonate with what we are, our history.
WWW UK: What are your favourite vintage pieces?
ADB: Our favourite vintages pieces of the moment are the Austrian cotton blouses, flower dresses and of course the 501 Levi’s. Women are looking for timeless feminine pieces.
WWW UK: Who do you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
ADB: @inesmelia, @luciacuesta_, @emlabowe, @juliettelabelle,@breez_lance, @alwaysjudging, and @sailorvenusdemilo.
WWW UK: Who are your favourite Instagram accounts for vintage?
ADB: We love @80s_90s_00s for the movie inspirations and @janebirkindaily because her style is timeless.
WWW UK: How do you curate your feed to ensure pieces look best?
ADB: Our Instagram is for inspirations, collabs with vintage lovers, and our monthly selections. We choose images that best represent our vintage one-of-a-kinds available on our website.
WWW UK: What are your favourite cities to shop for vintage?
ADB: All around France, especially flea markets from small French cities.
WWW UK: How did you end up in a career in vintage?
DK: Since I [was] a teen I've loved going to thrift shops charity shops etc. I have never been a huge fan of fast fashion and prefer find a unique piece than a top that 10000 girls are wearing! On my personal account @dianekari so much people were asking me where my clothes came from and almost everytime I answered, "Sorry, it’s vintage." So last summer I had the idea to do what I was already doing for myself for the others and it works.
WWW UK: Where do you find your pieces
DK: EVERYWHERE! Some pieces come from my personal closet, but it’s an every day job. I go [into a] charity shop every time I see one !
WWW UK: How has Instagram affected your business?
DK: Instagram is so important for my business. Everything is happening here now! People are coming from all around the world it’s amazing—I ship everywhere, it feels like I’m traveling.
WWW UK: Why is vintage suddenly so popular again?
DK: Everybody ask me this question and I still can’t answer, [since I've been] a huge vintage lover since a long time ago! Fast fashion is probably one of the biggest reasons and a good one.
WWW UK: What are your favourite vintage pieces?
DK: Jeans!!! Because it’s so hard to find a perfect vintage jean which is also your size. And printed shirts, definitely.
WWW UK: Who do you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
DK: @alyssainthecity, @nycbambi, @maria_bernard, @lamialand, @sailorvenusdimilo, @fhlurs
WWW UK: Who are your favourite Instagram accounts for vintage?
DK: @courtyard_la, @lesfleurstudio, @losfelizshop
WWW UK: How do you curate your feed to ensure pieces look best?
DK: I don’t think about this ! I do as I want ! Sometimes it looks better and sometimes I think the feed is not really good! I still have to work on this Instagram world.
WWW UK: What are your favourite cities to shop for vintage?
DK: New York, London, and Copenhagen. ■
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