Ahead of the Vogue Vintage Sale on 29 March, co-hosted by Jorja Smith and Iris Law and presented by eBay, Vogue is celebrating all things pre-loved. Not all vintage treasures are rare designer pieces loaded with fashion lore: from a perfectly worn leather jacket uncovered in a thrift store to a slogan tee sourced online, pre-loved items can (and should) be a key player in every modern wardrobe.

Vintage makes the world go round – well, the fashion world at least! While there has indeed been a very well attested surge in general interest in vintage clothing and culture over the past decade or so, amid fashionistas, it has long held cachet. But not all vintage pieces are held in equal regard, of course. While the term has been somewhat diluted, often translating as a euphemism for anything worn once and then flogged, today, we’re talking about real vintage – pieces that have aged better than a bottle of 1988 Krug.

The status of the sorts of pieces you’re about to see is, in part, down to the hold they continue to exert over the contemporary fashion landscape. How the strength of that hold is measured varies. In some cases, it could be by the frenzy that’s invoked when, say, Rihanna decides to pull up to a red carpet in a storied Raf Simons grail. In others, it’s the historical clout that a perennially referenced Met Gala look holds. Either way, these are pieces that prove the extent to which, in an industry fixated on guiding how we dress today (and will dress tomorrow), yesterday’s garments play an essential role in shaping what that looks like.

We spoke to a handful of the most directional collectors and curators of top tier vintage, to ask them about their most sought after pieces – and the wealth of stories behind them.

Over the past two decades, New York-based David Casavant has established himself as one of fashion’s most revered archivists, with his vast collection featuring sought-after pieces of late 20th- and early 21st-century menswear. With a particular focus on pieces by Raf Simons, Helmut Lang and Hedi Slimane-era Dior, pieces from his archive have made fashion history anew when they’ve appeared on the likes of Billie Eilish, Travis Scott and Rihanna.

The latter famously sported Casavant’s grey Raf Simons autumn/winter 2001 camo bomber to a 2015 red carpet event. “It’s consistently been the most sought after piece in my archive for more than ten years,” he shares. “It’s from one of Raf’s most iconic collections titled Riot! Riot! Riot! It was all about youth and rebellion and featured imagery of protests and music in the patches on the clothes,” he adds, noting the eerie cult cachet of the piece. “It features a patch of Manic Street Preacher guitarist Richey Edwards who vanished and was never found, which adds to the allure.”

The Flemish designer was also behind another of Casavant’s most popular pieces: Raf Simons autumn/winter 2004 wide leg jeans “from a collection titled Waves, that has become one of the most sought after Raf collections in the past couple of years,” he says. “This collection was a turning point where Raf moved away from the more rebellious feeling of his previous shows and into a softer approach. They were recreated for the Raf Simons Re-edition line a few years ago but people always want the original.” While these, too, aren’t for sale, they are available to rent – to the right people, of course. “I rent to the fashion industry,” Casavant explains, “from top design houses who rent for research purposes, to stylists for editorial and advertising shoots – as well as to celebrities.”

Tucked away close to the top of east London’s Brick Lane, Nordic Poetry is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave for the city’s devotees (of which there are many!) of deep-cut vintage garments from the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Chanel. Two of the archive’s most in-demand pieces hail from Alexander McQueen’s duly fussed over late ’90s years – the first is look 22 from the brand’s spring/summer 1997 collection, La Poupée, which was even sported by Jourdan Dunn to the 2024 British Vogue X Tiffany & Co. Fashion & Film party.

The irrefutable jewel in its crown, though, would have to be the iconic Crucifix mask from McQueen’s autumn/winter 1996 Dante collection. “Simon Costin, the designer and maker behind the mask, stated that seven of the masks still exist,” says Ameli Lindgren, a Swedish London-based stylist, and the founder of Nordic Poetry. “There are only two of these seven that are currently circulating out in the world, and the other one lives in our archive.” While this piece sadly, and understandably, ain’t for sale, the accessory has racked up some iconic appearances in its lifetime. “It was famously worn by David Bowie,” she says, “and was most recently rented for a cover shoot with Robbie Williams.”

Known as London’s go-to spot for deliciously curated Japanese, French and Belgian fashion – particularly from the ’90s – Aro Archive is something of a mecca for acolytes of avant-garde vintage (i.e. if ’90s Yohji is what you’re after, this is where you go). It makes sense, then, that pieces like a wool blazer from Issey Miyake’s autumn/winter 1995 collection are among its most requested. “Directional Japanese design is probably the most popular request from clients at Aro Archive,” says Joseph O’Brien, Aro’s archive manager. “Conveniently it is something we specialise in! This Issey Miyake wool blazer is a great example of classic tailoring with a twist… A progressive Japanese take on a Western wardrobe staple.”

Pieces from brands under the Comme des Garçons umbrella have also come to be hot tickets for the archive, like this Junya Watanabe shirt from the brand’s autumn/winter 1995 collection. “This is a personal favourite,” O’Brien says. “A whisper-light georgette is gathered on to a boiled wool, shrunken shirt front creating humorous proportion play. Elegant yet awkward. This item is early in the Junya Watanabe and Comme des Garçons union, a relationship which shaped the future of fashion. A great meeting of the minds!”

In order to pave the way for fashion’s future, you have to pay keen attention to its past – which is why, to let you in on something of an industry secret, some of the most loyal patrons of designer fashion archives are fashion designers themselves, who will draw inspiration and knowledge from pre-existing pieces to develop new ones. One oft-referenced era is Nicolas Ghesquière’s storied tenure at Balenciaga – particularly the designer’s work from the early 2000s. “This cubism-inspired sweater is the perfect piece for both customer bases [designers and regular consumers], considering it has a complex design and patterning while also being very wearable and easy,” says Collin James, co-founder of New York and Los Angeles-based store and archive James Veloria.

Stella McCartney-era Chloé also proves a repeat hit for the store: “Work from 1998-2001 has been one of our most popular requests for years now,” James says, with the story behind the rhinestone waistbanded pants they currently have proving a particularly strong draw. “They were famously worn by Stella McCartney herself at the Met Gala, and have been a popular piece requested for street style and celebrity red carpets,” they say. “McCartney styled it with a white tank on the red carpet printed with the words ‘Rock Royalty’, alongside Liv Tyler, going down in history as one of the most rebellious Met Gala looks of all time.”

Die-hard fans of Helmut Lang will no doubt be familiar with Endyma – the Berlin-based fashion archive founded by Michael Kardamakis in 2014. Why? Well, because it’s home to the world’s largest collection of the Austrian designer-turned-artist’s wares. Among them is this lurid pink tank top with leg straps in silk organza from spring/summer 1999, which Kardamakis cites as “one of my favourite Helmut Lang tops. Simple yet unconventional, it captures Lang’s conceptual approach. The classic tank shape is finished with detachable panels extending below the hem. This somewhat odd detail is inspired by the leg straps of mid-century biker coats. Their original function – to secure the coat to the wearer’s legs while riding – has been reduced to a vestigial point of interest.” It isn’t just a favourite of his, it would seem. “Stylists and designers love the fabric’s explosive colour, which is somehow emphasised by its translucency,” he shares.

Looking beyond Lang, the ’90s work of Raf Simons has also proven popular for Endyma, with a standout piece in the collection being this slim black cowhide biker jacket. “It’s a rather rare find from Simons’s first runway show; check out the blue label that was only used in the designer’s early collections. Of course, being early Raf, it fits about three sizes too small,” Kardamakis says, but it nonetheless serves as an illustrative key to understanding the work we see from the designer today. “Note the tiny cargo pocket on the shoulder; I find it pleasantly reminiscent of the tiny pocket seen on the Prada jackets designed by Simons nowadays. I get a warm feeling thinking that the similarity of the pockets represents some kind of connection, nearly 30 years later.”

Oddly enough, though, Endyma’s most sought-after item doesn’t come hail from either of the above brands, but rather from Blighty in the ’80s. “This rare fishing jacket is probably the most popular piece from our archive,” Kardamakis confides. “It’s an early example of Burberry’s sportswear from a time when the label’s garments were entirely sewn in the UK. It has a cropped, boxy silhouette with asymmetric cargo pockets, a dramatic high collar and scattered D-rings to attach your fishing gear.” High-end ’80s gorpcore, if you will.

“Voyage” is a name you might hear muttered among decidedly in-the-know vintage-heads – which is fitting, since it was just as exclusive a venture back in its ’90s heyday in London. “Voyage was the go-to brand for models off duty in the ’90s, and was well known to be Kate Moss’s favourite place to shop,” says Christelle McCracken, the owner of London-based My Runway Archive. “The owners had a strict door policy which apparently saw Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss being turned away at the door, which made the allure of the brand all the more appealing.”

She continues: “I have been seeing a lot of requests for the cult ’90s London brand, especially the big pieces worn by the models, singers and actresses back in the day. I managed to track down a variation of the cheongsam dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow for the premiere of Sliding Doors in 1997,” she adds, noting that the one-of-a-kind nature of each piece is key to the brand’s appeal. “Voyage would create various garments from the same vintage fabric, but would never use the same fabric and trim combination twice.”

McCracken also notes how the red carpet can impact interest in a specific brand’s archive. “Many stars are opting for contemporary Armani for their red-carpet looks today, such as Demi Moore, Selena Gomez and Zendaya, who [have all worn] the brand to the Oscars, which in turn ignited the demand for archival Giorgio Armani,” she shares, noting a particular appetite for the brand’s tailoring – like this Giorgio Armani autumn/winter 1992 tuxedo jacket with a signature inbuilt beaded tie.

Gabriel Held, the New York-based stylist and vintage archivist, describes the demographic of his clientele as encompassing “aspiring It-girls, current, reigning It-girls, and well-established It-women” – a description that checks out when you learn of some of the leading ladies he’s worked with. From Paris Hilton to Alex Consani, when It-Girls from across the ages are after a show-stopping look, Held is their first port of call.

But what are they after, you ask? Well, logomaniac pieces like a top from John Galliano’s era-defining tenure at Dior, for one. “In the initial logo craze of the late ’90s and early 2000s, designer monograms signified conspicuous elitism,” Held explains, “but what 25 years ago signified status due to its novelty, now, paradoxically, does so again due to its age. These pieces signify wealth, to an extent, but with an added layer of exclusivity due to the finite amount of vintage logomania pieces that exist. And also the fact that you can’t just go any department store or luxury boutique and buy them.”

Also popular with Held’s clientele are the sorts of skimpy micro-dresses popularised by the ’90s supers – much like a Just Cavalli number sported by Consani for her 21st birthday – and pieces by the iconic New York designer Todd Oldham. “All of the pieces from his runway shows are prized possessions in my collection,” he says, “but this cropped shirt, iconically worn by Shalom Harlow in his spring/summer 1995 show, is without a doubt the most requested. At this point, preserving it is my top priority so I am extremely selective with rentals!”