Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Vintage Fashion in Los Angeles

Lily et Cie

Lily et Cie in Beverly Hills may just be the original fashion archive, the store that made vintage acceptable, wearable and cool. Owner Rita Watkin is a true character with encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion. Her story: before founding Lily et Cie, she worked at Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Valentino and YSL. One day, she inherited a prestigious collection of 20th Century fashion (that today rivals that of the Met and the Louvre) from a close family friend. She stored it for years until word spread and she finally opened up shop in the 80’s. On a visit years ago, we spotted John Galliano and his entourage taking notes and seeking inspiration.

Lily et Cie
 Decades

Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos run a vintage store so revered in Hollywood. In fact, Cameron has literally written the book on fashion. It’s name? Decades. Hand-picked items are displayed in their deluxe boutique in such a way that customers can truly see each piece for what it is – vintage couture. Cameron says it best, “When Decades opened in 1997, vintage was still rather socially unacceptable and people were turned off by wearing something ‘used.’ However, Decades educated the savvy fashionista that vintage is a modern way to differentiate your style and the edit has always been about 'vintage that looks modern.'"

Decades