Sue Wong, Doris Raymond, Sally Lohan

In my world, vintage fashion and fashion history don’t really live in a vacuum. As much as I love vintage clothing and accessories, I don’t consider myself a scholar like my friend Heather Vaughan. My real passion lies in that intersection between vintage and its influence on modern clothing.

This topic is precisely what fashion designer Sue Wong, Katherine Brandes, Creative Director of BB Dakota, fashion author and Apparel News journalist, Allison Nieder, vintage expert Doris Raymond, and WGSN’s West Coast Content Director Sally Lohan discussed at the 110 Years of Fashion History: How Vintage Inspires 21st Century Trends discussion panel which took place at the California Market Center. My heart skipped a beat when i received the invitation!

What is vintage?

Each panelist answered the age old question “What is vintage?” Doris had the most precise definition. She felt that anything older than the late 1980s is vintage in her book. You can watch what she says about the 1990s coming into the vintage marketplace in the video interview I did with her. Sally Lohan added that her definition of vintage also includes quality and craftsmanship. Sue Wong feels that vintage has to have a “lot of soul”.

When asked about some of their favorite eras Sue Wong shared her fascination with the elements of the 1920s and ’30s. Katherine preferred the cinched waists of the 1940s and ’50s. Doris Raymond prefers the 1930s like Wong, but was able to narrow it down to 1929-1932. She loves the bias cuts of Vionnet. Sally loves Paul Poiret and Fortuny.

Doris Raymond and me in vintage

Vintage As Inspiration

The panelists agreed that fashion pre-1960s was the easiest to interpret in contemporary fashion. Sue Wong prefers to look at individual details and silhouettes when looking for inspiration for her designs.

Leave it to me to ask the question that made Sue Wong and Doris Raymond engage in an intelligent debate. I wasn’t fishing for a debate, but was genuinely curious what designers vs. vintage professionals thought on the subject – when does inspiration cease being

inspiration and becomes a copy?

The example I had in mind was that beaded antique bag I knew had been sold by a vintage dealer I know to Anna Sui and ended up on the runway in the exact same colors and exact same pattern.

The discussion really surprised me. Sally Lohan quickly jumped on the question and her reaction was complete disapproval. Sue Wong agreed. Doris actually had a different opinion. She felt that giving a a vintage garment life again, even if it is in its original design is ok. Otherwise it would never have been appreciated again. The conversation got pretty lively as far as panels go.

Vintage Trends

Some of the vintage influenced trends identified for upcoming seasons are romantic floral prints, boudoir and lingerie, classic seasonless items. Sue Wong predicts vintage looks from the teens to 1920s for a more avant garde look. Doris believes people will shop for investments versus trendy items.

Consumers

There seems to be two types of consumers when it comes to true vintage. The general public and designers. The general public is buying contemporary vintage inspired as well as vintage. Tips were offered on how to look for quality vintage – turn the garment inside out, check seams, feel the fabric. Sue Wong warned about fraudulent sellers trying to tap into the vintage market by selling new items, taking the tags out and claiming they are vintage dresses. She found one of her own beaded, flapper inspired dresses on Ebay being sold as a 1920s dress!

Cynthia Dipierro, WGSN, Sally Lohan, Doris Raymond, Liz Moore, Los Angeles Confidential magazine

The panel discussion was followed by a lovely reception in a very Schiaparelli pink carpeted room. it was great to be in a room full of people who embrace vintage and contemporary fashion with both arms. And now with the collaboration between WGSN and Doris Raymond to create a specialized vintage directory, it seems what’s old is new again and it will continue to make it’s way to the runway.