In Venice, the new luxury is the past. While the latest collections from major fashion houses parade on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, more and more stars are choosing to revisit clothes that have already graced the runways, perhaps worn by other famous fashion icons. Not simply vintage, then, but archive fashion: pieces with a history that come back to life on a new generation of celebrities.
Kendall Jenner did just that, choosing a Giorgio Armani dress from the Fall/Winter 1995 collection for her Venice red carpet debut, the same year she was born. The gold gown, decorated with floral motifs and sparkling appliques, was paired with a few jewels and nude sandals, letting the dress do the talking.
For an Armani Beauty event, Sydney Sweeney wore a Giorgio Armani dress from the Fall/Winter 2000 collection, sourced from Raffe Vintage: a sheer design covered in sequins and crystals. For another event, she chose a 1987 dress, also from Raffe Vintage: an ivory Karl Lagerfeld design, paired with Chanel accessories.
Then there's Irina Shayk: on the red carpet she wore a Dolce & Gabbana dress from the Spring/Summer 2023 collection, a black satin model with laces and large side slits previously worn by Gisele Bündchen and Naomi Campbell: a sort of relay race between supermodels.
Nicola Peltz Beckham, wealthy heiress and wife of Brooklyn Beckham (son of David and Victoria), also alternated between past and present. For the red carpet at the Kinéo Awards, she chose Balenciaga, while for the ceremony she wore a vintage Armani Privé dress.
Finally, Nina Dobrev, included among the stars who have chosen the Italian fashion house drawing from its wealth.
A phenomenon that's becoming a true red carpet grammar: moving away from the "new at all costs" mentality becomes an invitation to recycle, reuse, and give clothes a second life. This perspective ties in with the growing focus on conscious consumption and the need to reduce waste in the clothing industry.
(Unioneonline/D)