In my humble opinion, we have heard the word ‘Heritage’ banded about far too many times since 2005; the archive-adoring and some might say navel-gazing fashion movement that took over our denim world in the mid noughties. Despite inspiring a lot of historically accurate replica’s, heritage also ushered in some very positive new attitudes towards clothing consumption that have contributed to much of today’s ethical and environmental progress. A built-to-last attitude and a focus on quality materials has no doubt inspired the socially responsible, transparent supply chains we are inching towards today. As for the thousands of copy-cat brands who jumped on the heritage band-wagon with their not-so-great selvedge denims or some all-new iteration of the back cinch… well they’ve mostly gone into hibernation. I guess they weren’t ‘built to last’ after all. Now that this market has been left alone to return to its original, honest intentions, heritage as a ‘trend’ is finally laid to rest. But are archives dead? Absolutely not!
Photo Credits: Supreme Tokyo Queue – NY Times
Thanks to the recent ‘Supreme Thursday’ drop mentality, rarities have become increasing important to the younger emerging generation of consumers in order to flex their status. Platforms such as Grailed have started catering not just to the latest Yeezy boosts but to 5 year old Kapital jackets, 2002 Raf Simons collections or archival Undercover. These are not just products that money can buy; but products that only knowledge will obtain for you. Knowing about that rare, one-season collaboration from 2003 or that brand name that wasn’t available outside of Japan until 2012 is what defines today’s luxury, and that in turn is leading to an elevated look into heritage and a whole new, era-less appreciation.
Ten years ago it was a case of ‘the older the denim, the better’ Now it’s less about the age and more about the cultural cache of a moment in time. To generation Z, luxury is about rarity and knowledge, and much like the muso dude with his obscure and varied taste in pre-1982 East-Berlin bongo jazz or un-released pre-school Joy Division b-sides, tomorrow’s denim dude is quickly becoming as obsessed and precise about his fashion purchases.
Photo Credits: Raf Simons New Order jackets – GQ
Platforms such as Grailed and Instagram profiles like @middleman.store and @sickboyarchive captivate grail-hunting enthusiasts and educate consumers with an appreciation for specific items and eras (and ruthlessly discerning taste). These feeds and feeds like it have been largely responsible for changing the narrative around vintage clothing, helping to shake off the stigma of secondhand clothing that “someone no longer wants” to become more about the concept of rarity, exclusivity and even accessible luxury. Their impact has pushed up the value in these throwback items over the years. Demand has soared as consumers hunt for rare, authentic relics, and emerging labels tap this hype to create contemporary designs inspired by these grails.
Re-sell sites like Depop and Grailed are the fuel that this new phenomena runs on. Information is open-source and now that social status is so closely linked with obscure fashion knowledge, education is spreading from peer to peer like wildfire. Both platforms make selling vintage and archive pieces easy; combining inspiration and education with daily social interactions can turn an interest into an addiction pretty quickly. What’s most exciting about these sites, however, is that they empower this new generation to become entrepreneurs and start selling what they don’t want in order to obtain what they do. It’s become a vintage eco-system.
Photo Credits: Jackets from Middleman’s instagram
Nostalgia plays a very important part in archive appreciation. The New York Times’ conversation around “What Nostalgia is Good For” explains it as a backlash against fast-paced technology and the economic and political uncertainty that has left people feeling anxious about the future. Looking back gives our lives a sense of continuity and meaning as we get older. As a psychographic phenomenon, nostalgia also appeals to many demographics; both those generations who lived through the era referenced and those who bemoan having missed out on it. It’s also more light-hearted and explorative than the heady heritage decade of 2005-2015 and certainly more high-fashion focused.
Photo Credits: Pop Magazine Brooke Shields shoot, 2017 – Original 80’s Calvin ad shot by Richard Avedon
It’s this more joyous and experimental look back at fashion rather than the restrained and purist attitudes of the older archives that has lent denim its recent refresh. We only have to look at the explosion of re-releases and odes to era’s to see that confirmation in the marketplace: Raf’s recent stint at Calvin Klein threw the brand back to its Brook Shields days using colorful back patches and retro fits, then of course we’ve seen the high-colour 80’s explosion over at Guess Jeans, spearheaded last year by their highly collectible Sean Wotherspon ‘Guess Farmers Market’ range. Tommy Hilfiger has also been celebrating the 90s-inspired denim, collegiate logos and vintage prints of its era-defining aesthetics in the 80’s and 90’s.
All this 80s logo-mania and retro-inspired denim that is enjoying a renewed spotlight in fashion has paved the way for other cult classics to make their return. This year Jordache, the original American ‘designer denim’ label has relaunched its eponymous line of high-rise fits and sharp cuts as part of the brands 40th anniversary.
Photo Credits: Levi’s x Stranger things
Legacy brands like Levi’s have been quick to catch onto the energy for this release model. On the 4th of July they released their retro ‘Stranger Things’ collaboration which included 80’s jeanswear essentials that actually featured in the series as part of costume, giving kids an even more irresistible archival narrative to buy in to.
Photo Credits: 1. Jeansblog 2. Endyma 3. Garmentory
Helmut Lang also tapped the zeitgeist when they released their Re-Edition line last year; a range of its cult classics from its 90’s archives. It proved a hit in capturing the current online buzz amongst “grail hunters” and has elevated Helmut Lang back to its 90’s and 00’s glory.
So where does heritage go from here? Is it about the late 90’s, early 00’s aesthetic? Is it about cheesy Italo-denim from the 80’s or a more nostalgic nod through an American lens? Or is it about a piece from a Kapital collection that’s only 7 years old? The fact is this new nostalgic look at heritage doesn’t need a date or time-stamp, it’s about a story and a moment in time. More than anything it’s about the way the item makes its new owner feel and that’s got nothing to do with age.
Amy Leverton is a trend consultant, designer and journalist as well as the author of Denim Dudes, a book dedicated to the denim style of industry figures and enthusiasts. She works for many clients behind the scenes, helping them to shape their design direction and seasonal concept. Read her blog here and her instagram here.