When Nostalgia Becomes Luxury

As it turns out, the aesthetics of contrasts and combining authentic styles, where vintage and preloved pieces play an important role, are adored by many – from fashion connoisseurs and interior designers to everyday aesthetes and the rich and famous. While strolling through your hometown, or another city, street and port, or scrolling the Internet, do you also look longingly at interesting people and their styles, bars, restaurants, galleries and interiors, old fences and walls surrounding terraces and gardens teeming with people, which are artifacts in themselves? 

How do they manage to look so good in an ordinary trench coat and jeans? Is it that 'je-ne-sais-quoi' and the combination with a brilliant pair of worn-out vintage riding boots? If we're talking about space, it is interesting how we always manage to be attracted by a table in a niche with French windows, where we absorb both the atmosphere and the people passing by. 

Why is a contemporary industrial space where the light from a chandelier refracts in an oversized mirror with a long past so magical, while the synth-pop sound inspired by the optimism of the ‘80s fills the room, and why is a glass of wine that much more special when enjoyed here? Or a subdued atmosphere in a café with a retro neon sign and elongated subway tiles like those that once adorned famous subway stations – where drinking coffee is a special experience? 

The answer boils down to authenticity. Or rather, we’re magnetically drawn to people, things, and spaces with an interesting story. Someone’s style and creativity awakens our curiosity, and the ambiance is seductive. There is one phenomenon that plays an increasingly important role in that puzzle of personal choices where authenticity ranks high – nostalgia.

Did you know that the vintage (original pieces with a story more than 20 years old) and preloved (pieces worn/loved before) scene in fashion and interior design has been gaining traction in the past few years? There are many reasons for this, but the following mix seems to be the key: the desire for individual expression, the idea of sustainability, and nostalgia as a collective memory of decades gone by that are often idealized. 

This formula has become synonymous with cool, especially among newer generations. Authentic pieces make someone’s style of space interesting, while throwback to certain decades, like the ‘70s, ‘80s, or Y2K, evokes an aesthetic that's carefully thought through, instead of just trendy.

Certain vintage pieces, such as Scandinavian furniture and investment bags, especially the iconic classics Hermès Birkin and Kelly or Chanel 2.55, as well as less classic pieces such as Celine Phantom, Balenciaga City, or Coach bags, or Rolex and Cartier watches, collectors’ silk scarves and unique handmade gold jewelry, gain value over time and are a smart investment. 

But there are also many more accessible or avant-garde pieces, from collectible sneakers to Chloé clogs, which are especially appealing to Gen Z. If you’re looking for something with a story to tell, head to specialized reselling platforms, such as Vestiaire Collective, Fashionphile, Rebag, Farfetch, or The RealReal, as these are not your regular shopping destinations. Instead, they offer curated designer pieces and authenticity confirmation.

If you want to enrich your space, check out websites such as Heirloomed. If renowned designers known for premium interior design pieces or those globally inspired by vintage are what you’re after, head to Jayson Home. Another option is to study the profiles and magazines covering the topic of design and take a little memento from a flea shop or vintage shop at every destination you visit.

The start of enjoying contrasting aesthetics can be traced back to the subcultures of the ‘60s and ‘70s. A while later, in the ‘80s and ‘90s, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood began to reinterpret vintage in haute couture. However, the combination of a modern piece, that is contemporary, and vintage pieces, carrying a story, was made popular by it-girls, such as Kate Moss and Chloe Sevigny in the 2000s. 

They wore haute couture and the best finds from vintage and second-hand stores on the red carpet. What followed were numerous street style blogs and later Instagram accounts, offering a glimpse into something new and different. After 2010, the first platforms for reselling vintage and pre-owned pieces were created, cementing their place in the luxury segment. Looking for an authentic form of expression, a number of celebrities have embraced vintage, including Emma Watson and Billie Eilish.

Today, instead of copying looks from the runways, true fans of fashion and design have become obsessed with the aesthetics of contrast, and the styles you will combine largely depend on your personal preferences and choices. As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing more beautiful than the 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV, which lay forgotten for decades in the courtyard of an old Italian villa. We would love to take it for a spin around an island wearing an oversized suit and a pair of hyper sneakers.