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Unearthing a vintage treasure invariably takes me on a research deep dive. I want to know everything about its history and place in time. This curiosity and love for fashion pieces with unique stories is what led me to found RECIETY, a store dedicated to these timeless treasures. Incorporating vintage into your wardrobe adds an extra meaningful layer, allowing pieces with a rich history to breathe new life into your collection.
Having lived overseas and forever on the hunt for pre-loved and vintage fashion whenever I travel, I find Melbourne, with its eclectic fashion scene, a true goldmine. There’s an abundance of curated vintage, particularly appealing to minimalists with a taste for Japanese and Belgian designers. Melburnians truly embrace vintage, and there’s a European sensibility to dressing. Sydney, on the other hand, has a vibrant scene that really celebrates the new. While Sydney boasts great vintage stores (perhaps a part 2 Sydney edition is needed), I find it easier to uncover vintage gems that speak to my style in Melbourne.
Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just beginning your vintage journey, Melbourne has something special for you.
The world of DotCOMME is where avant-garde fashion finds its sanctuary in Melbourne. Founder, Octavius "Otto" la Rosa has an insatiable appetite for iconic designers like Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto and Walter Van Beirendonck. One of his first purchases was a Comme black shirt from the Summer 2001 collection, and from there, has amassed one of the largest archival collections of Comme in the world.
DotCOMME’s ethos, ‘sick of easy fashion’ is inspired by a quote from Belgian designer Walter van Beirendonck, and houses a collection that challenges norms and celebrates the avant-garde.
The evolution began with an eBay store in 2010, followed by their own online store in 2011. From their first store in the Nicholas Building from 2012, they are now located in Curtin House in the heart of the city. It’s where I found one of my most loved vintage pieces, a scrunched drawstring Comme AW 2005 waterfall jacket - It makes you look twice and has been recreated in various guises in their collections since. There are plenty of interesting and very wearable pieces on offer too.
Dot Comme Collection is more of a gallery space upstairs. Rare, collectible and more directional archival pieces are showcased here - art in their own right. A stark minimalist space with accents of bold, iconic furniture by Gaetano Pesce, lined with industrial stainless steel displays, and hidden changing rooms.
Visiting the store is a treat, whether you're a seasoned collector or a curious bystander I’d highly recommend visiting dotCOMME. Next up, they have their sights set on opening a store in Paris. Watch this space.
Otto's personal style is such a joy, whether in audacious Walter van Beirendonck or directional Comme. Follow @dotcomme.melbourne for a tongue in cheek peek into their world and for Otto’s unapologetic style, and @dotcomme for a closer look at their inventory.
@dotcomme | @dotcomme.melbourne
After five years at the historic Nicholas Building, REINA has found their new residency at Curtin House, the same 1920’s art nouveau building as DotCOMME.
The vintage designer store focuses on European and Japanese designers from the early 1990’s to the mid 2000’s. You’ll find artful gems from Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci, Dior, Celine, Gaultier and more. The curation here has a more feminine slant than my other stores suggested. Highlights from my latest visit include a double layer crinkle skirt from Prada’s iconic S/S 2009 collection, a Prada nylon belted jacket and a vintage Ferragamo bag which has been reissued and tweaked this season. The interiors are just as considered, furnished with pieces like a unique custom steel bookshelf by the design duo Soft Baroque.
Founder Romy Theodore (REINA forms part of her middle name, Zacharenia) spent five years in New York, where she studied Art History and Curation at Parsons School of Design. When returning home to Melbourne, she was craving more of a curation of pre-loved and vintage and didn’t know where to shop. To solve her own problem, Romy opened her own curated vintage store, REINA in 2019. The store is in-person only, without an online store, not trying to compete with other vintage e-tailers out there.
When sourcing, Romy is drawn to interesting details, closures, ties or patterns, and is led by gut reaction, often selecting pieces ‘I’d wear myself in all my other lifetimes’.
‘Now, not to sound immodest or anything, if you’re looking to find the kind of designer vintage/resale experience you had in Paris, Paris’99 is a must see’. A DM from Yahav Ron, founder of Paris’99 had me intrigued. This particular trip, I only had a short time in Melbourne but was compelled to see what this designer resale salon had to offer.
It’s located in Hampton, a 20 minute train journey outside of Melbourne’ city center. Yahav, a self confessed ‘conduit of fashion’, provides a truly unique shopping experience. As you enter, there’s Yahav’s design studio (a designer in his own right, his hand made creations are draped, deconstructed, genderless and made from found fabrics). This is followed by rail upon rail of high-end international designer vintage fashion, and stacks of designer catalogues and books.
Gin or tea? Asked upon arrival, sets the scene for what’s to come. Yavah’s appreciation and infatuation with fashion from all decades is clear. A fashion magpie, his love for product is paramount and offers an extensive range of designers; from Belgian and Japanese avant-garde to Italian luxe, t-shirts to extravagant gowns and everything in between. Think Vivienne Westwood, Prada, Lanvin and oh so much more. The walls are adorned with iconic imagery, from the 1988 Susie Smoking, Susie Bick for Yohji Yamamoto image, and A.F. Vandevost’s 1999 collection shot on hospital beds to a 1982 print of Grace Jones by Jean-Paul Goude.There is a lot to take in.
I spent a good two hours on my visit - one part treasure hunt, one part fashion history lesson. Yahav’s love of fashion began young - sketching his own designs at 14 years old on a trip to Paris, and collecting designer catalogues in the 90’s. He spent a year in Antwerp working with A.F. Vandevorst and the MoMu Fashion Museum before returning to Australia. His encyclopedic knowledge of fashion’s past is impressive. I left with an A.F. Vandevorst F/W 2006-7 olive lace up trench coat and a one shoulder deconstructed Barbara Bui top. An Issey Miyake nylon floor length coat from 1978 still lives rent free in my mind from the visit. The whole experience is fabulous, overwhelming, surprising and informative all at once. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
If you’re looking for an experience, Paris’99 is the place to go. It’s not what you would expect, but there’s something special about it.
BRUCE consignment store in Fitzroy is one of my go-to’s. I love their curation of avant-garde brands and pared-back merchandising, extending seamlessly to their online store, I browse it far too often. Their distinct point of view is evident, the stark white space displays a cohesive selection of fashion for women and men, from Comme des Garcons, Maison Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto, Junya Watanabe, Issey Miyake, Jil Sander and more.
Founded 15 years ago by New Yorker Emily Oberlin and her Australian partner Daniel Nielsenbeck, BRUCE has since gained a loyal following. Today, there are three BRUCE locations: Fitzroy and Clifton Hill in Melbourne, and a store in Hobart. Fitzroy offers a directional curation of Japanese and Belgian designers, their online store exclusively features stock from this selection. The Clifton Hill and Hobart stores are sister locations, stocking more contemporary, wearable designs from local brands like bassike and Jac+Jack, as well as international names like Coperni, Proenza, Prada, and Max Mara.
With an excellent curation (a go-to for me for outerwear) of pre-loved and vintage fashion at competitive, surprisingly accessible price points, BRUCE is a must-visit fashion destination.
I challenge you to leave SWOP without finding a gem that’s perfect for you. Their vast inventory is satisfyingly merchandised in by colour, offering a range of modern, vintage, and designer fashion to suit every price point. You’ll discover classics such as a 70s Christian Dior Monsieur trench or Hermes loafers, iconic pieces like a Comme des Garcons S/S ‘97 Lumps & Bumps top, as well as everyday jerseys. I had a blast trawling through every rail at their previous Melbourne location, a Balenciaga denim jacket from there remains one of my most worn wardrobe staples. The selling process is simple and convenient— swap your pre-loved pieces for store credit or cash.
Since its beginning in Brisbane, 2013, SWOP has expanded to multiple locations. Naturally, I was thrilled when SWOP opened their doors on Oxford Street in Sydney. Their newest development, the Melbourne flagship on Peel Street in Collingwood, previously the iconic queer venue CLUB80, is particularly exciting. The space, designed by Mills Gorman Architects and brought to life by interior stylist Joseph Gardner, promises a bright future.
@_swop
