The Archives

A still from the first clip of The Prada Archives. Video available via IG  @Prada © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

How to preserve what’s come before is an age-old question, and as with any medium of art, fashion archives can serve as a way to safeguard legacy and inspire both present and future design. Luxury fashion brands are investing in these principles more than ever.

Luxury fashion houses have always held strong a connection with the past, especially those of whom draw on their longevity to give grounds for their eminence. Over the years, this link has been used to inspire new collections, often referencing impactful designs and working to uphold an individual aesthetic. Archiving is intrinsically favorable for fashion houses, especially from an artistic and creative direction perspective. Archives can hold both contemporary and vintage pieces, coming together to represent a brand’s story.

While designers and creative directors have used such archives as a learning tool, the consumer benefit of fashion archives is a newer concept and one that is extremely relevant. The newer concept for consumers is in part credited to a nearly ubiquitous rise in nostalgia in significant landscapes like media and fashion. Where we predominantly see the nostalgic pull of the past in the fashion industry is through endless remakes and reissues of former popular collections. An oversaturation of new brands, many of which coincide with fast fashion, can lead to consumers idealizing and longing for times when they felt fashion collections made more of an impact.

So, the idea of the secondary market in fashion has risen in prevalence. This market refers to the buying and selling of used, pre-owned, and often vintage clothing and accessories. Online platforms, vintage stores, and flea markets are rife with this resale market. Their popularity has taken resale from more of a niche for vintage savants to one where even luxury brands want in. Sustainability and affordability coupled with the rise in appeal of owning a second-hand luxury item has opened the door for luxury brands to take part and to direct attention to their sought-after collections. In this way, something old is made new through a reframing of its value: from outdated to esteemed.

Where luxury brands fail is when they take from the past with little reinterpretation. This tends to fall short for consumers. Trend cycles seem to be over in the blink of an eye, and when a brand attempts to merely reissue a pivotal collection from their past, consumers take to resale platforms to find the originals, rather than buying new. Thus, the appeal seems to lie either in altogether new ideas or in the resold original issue, which is often better priced and thought to be made with better materials.

Promoting heritage could be the merger between luxury fashion houses’ motivation to preserve their legacy and consumers’ increasing sentiment towards the past. Rather than lose consumers to the secondary market (as a consumer, this is a great choice), luxury fashion houses are turning to investment in and promotion of their archives. Beyond the inherent benefit of valuing heritage, it will become more and more lucrative for luxury fashion houses to invest in methods aimed at preserving their collections from decades past.

One of the latest efforts comes from Prada. As shared in a post from their Instagram, “The Prada Archive is an evolving narrative of innovation, craftsmanship, and vision. From early sketches to modern icons, each design has shaped Prada’s identity. A tribute to heritage, with eyes firmly set on the future.” The archive is located at the label’s industrial headquarters in Valvigna, Tuscany, and is said to grant access upon authorization.

The first clip they shared, which showcases their iconic flame heels from SS12, elicited the exact sort of nostalgic response explained earlier. The bright red of the heels creates a sharp contrast with the white Prada lab coat worn by the handler; the visual interest of the video piques interest and makes you wonder what else Prada is holding in their archives.

The heavy-hitting luxury fashion brands, like Prada, Gucci, LV, etc., have a clear and considerable upper hand in archiving their past. New labels and designers are always appearing in the fashion industry; their newness, though needed for a refresh, discredits their ability to reference past collections with as much intrigue as those who have been around for far longer.

Photos from the Gucci archives at Palazzo Settimani in Florence. Photos available via Gucci © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Archives can benefit all stakeholders, serving both as preservation and inspiration. Going back to the earliest years of a now-esteemed fashion house opens up a channel through which you can better understand the founders and creative directors. This can contribute to a stronger sense of continuity in a brand’s artistic output and as a consumer, you gain a glimpse into their journey.

Photos from Le Galerie Dior in Paris. Photos available via Galerie Dior. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

What remains is the question of the public’s access to these archives. While many of the big names are using their resources to nurture their archives, it is common for them to be restricted to the public. In the realm of heritage, to be well-curated, of course, benefits the owners but does not benefit the public if they’ve no access to it. Many houses have used their resources to promote open exhibitions of their collections, and some like Dior have a dedicated heritage department and have created entire galleries.

Whether luxury fashion houses are archiving for the sake of profit or for true appreciation of archival methods might matter less than the benefits that could come to fashion as a visible representation of history if care continues to be channeled towards its preservation. Promoting archiving as a means of consuming rather than buying new products can be an alternative to reissues that fall short. Rather than trying to recreate the past by producing new, luxury fashion houses could direct their efforts towards their archives.