Beginnings Joseph is a luxury British fashion label founded in 1966 by Joseph Ettedgui (born in Casablanca in 1938).It started as a boutique that sold both young designers and his own label which was focused on simple fabrics, often in neutral colours, made of impeccable quality from luxury fabrics. His stores became so influential that he is credited with raising the status of, and giving a platform to, and rocketing the careers of emerging designers like Katherine Hamnett, John Galliano, Kenzo and Franco Moschino.      Britishness A recurring theme of 1980s and 1990s Joseph ga ..read more

  One of the highlights of our new items this week is a blue and black Jean Claude Jitrois Leather Jacket from the 80s. The shape is both feminine and architectural with amazing puffed sleeves, that feel so current, and a matching belt that pulls in the waist.        Jean Claude Jitrois is known for his luxury leatherwear and his fashion house was founded in 1976. He has dressed the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Brooke Shields in his sexy, timeless designs. This great history and immaculate quality of his garments explain why his jackets and dresses still retail f ..read more

Vintage designer bio: Emanuel Ungaro    After hearing of the sad passing of one of fashions most singular designers last month we decided to focus our latest designer bio on Emanuel Ungaro. A master of bold colour, outlandish floral prints and incredible draping, along with designers like Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana, Ungaro ruled the 1980s fashion scene. However, his career was more diverse and interesting than the excess he was known for in his 80s heyday.        Signature details of vintage Ungaro clothing: - Large striking floral prints. - Draped, ruffled and pleated details.  - Sho ..read more

Background Fashion is often thought of as a fanciful industry without any objectives or substance. However, fashion and politics has very often been intertwined. Firstly, it can be used as a reflection of the political and socioeconomic changes in society. For example, the hemline index is an economic theory that shows in periods of recession and austerity the fashionable hemline lengthens and in periods of growth and prosperity the hemline shortens. Fashion can also be used as the political statement in itself. That could be in the form of collective dressing - like the celebrities who donned ..read more

Background The luxury German fashion house Escada was founded in 1976 by Margaretha and Wolfgang Ley. They became known for their bold, fabulous look that was worn by sophisticated women around the world. Princess Diana of Wales was often seen in Escada, Kim Basinger won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1998 wearing an Escada gown and Naomi Watts more recently wore an Escada dress to the Oscars - showing the brand is still very relevant today. Unfortunately, Margaretha Ley passed away in 1992 but the label still kept her name on the label until the late 90s.    Key looks Bold patterns ..read more

  Check out our latest collection, Neo Bourgeois. Heavily influenced by the ladylike fashions of the late 1970s and 1980s - this look was preeminent on the Autumn Winter 2019 runways. Key textures include wool tweeds with herringbone or checked patterns, pussybow and frilly blouses or layered knit pieces. With unlikely style icons varying from early Princess Diana and Jackie O Kennedy to Joan Collins - this look is less about socio-political identities and more about an elevated minimalist aesthetic in tradtional fabrics and timeless, quality pieces.  For an updated look on the traditional s ..read more

The 1980s and the 1990s in fashion are often seen as two greatly different eras with two very opposing aesthetics. The 1980s are remembered by many as being the decade of excess with designers like Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana creating bold, colorful designs with exaggerated silhouettes. The nineties however, are often  chracterized by the stark minimalism seen in the work of Giorgio Armani and Jil Sander. In this blog we'd like to show that the 80s and 90s were linked by their freeing attitude towards fashion, with designers being able to be introspective and poke fun at the fashion syst ..read more

KATHARINE HAMNETT - The Activist Designer   Katharine Hamnett founded her label in 1979 but it wasn't until she started creating her iconic t-shirts with political slogans on that her career really took off. Worn by huge celebrities of the day, including Wham! Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Naomi Campbell, her sloganed tees were printed with powerful statements like 'Worldwide Nuclear Ban Now', 'Use a Condom' and 'Choose Life' (which is often mistaken for being an anti-abortion slogan but was really intended as an anti-war sentiment). These timeless statements are still so relevant today and be ..read more

French haute couture is often hailed as the pinnacle of fashion and while it may be true that France has produced many of the greatest fashion designers of all time, clothing constructed entirely by hand in innovative fabrics and silhouettes could be found in other countries during the 20th century.   Haute couture, as defined by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, has certain conditions. Firstly, that the clothing be entirely constructed by hand and made to order in a Parisian atelier at least twenty skilled employees. An haute couture house must also present a collection of a ..read more

Men's Vintage Designer Profile: Giuliano Fujiwara   The Japanese born fashion designer Giuliano Fujiwara started his label in Milan in 1986. His work stands apart from fellow Italian contemporaries due to his refined, minimalist aesthetic but with the brilliant tailoring and innovative fabrications that Italian menswear is known for.    Check out our collection of vintage Giuliano Fujiwara clothing, including these jackets here   Vintage Giuiliano Fujiwara clothing has much more nuance than just East-meets-West though, incorporating avant garde details and American Ivy League influences into ..read more