As fleeting fashion trends continue to saturate the market, the environmental cost of clothing production has become impossible to ignore.
The fashion industry now accounts for an estimated 10 percent of global carbon emissions, while millions of garments are discarded each year, worn only a handful of times. For today’s informed consumer – one attuned to craftsmanship – sustainability is no longer a want, but an essential component when it comes to crafting a wardrobe.
This shift is playing out most visibly on the red carpet. From archival Jean Paul Gaultier to rare Versace and Mugler, vintage pieces have moved decisively from fashion’s inner circles to its most public stages. Actors, musicians, and cultural tastemakers are turning to the past in search of narrative and meaning – choosing garments with history over those designed for immediacy. A vintage look signals more than aesthetic flair, too; it suggests access and a genuine appreciation for fashion as a living archive.
Yet building a vintage wardrobe that feels refined rather than referential requires expertise. Sourcing exceptional pieces, understanding construction and fabric integrity, and knowing which designers and eras will endure is an art form in itself. If you’re starting out, here’s which vintage specialists, personal stylists, and curators to know.
Devon Lee Carlson
Los Angeles-based Devon Lee Carlson has been recognized as a defining figure of modern vintage cool. Known for her effortlessly nostalgic aesthetic – equal parts ’90s supermodel and downtown ingénue – Carlson has built a cult following for her ability to make archival fashion feel current.
A fixture on fashion’s front row, Carlson has collaborated with major global brands and styled some of the most influential women of her generation, while consistently championing second-hand and vintage dressing. Her personal wardrobe, often drawn from deadstock, thrifted, and archival pieces, has helped normalize re-wearing and resale among a younger luxury audience.
What sets Carlson apart is her instinctive understanding of how vintage integrates into modern life, not as a novelty, but as the backbone of a considered wardrobe.
See also: The New Mood of Winter Dressing
Cecilie & Amalie Moosgaard
Danish sisters Cecilie and Amalie Moosgaard are the founders of LIE Studio, a brand built on the principles of longevity, with values deeply rooted in Scandinavian design culture. While best known for their sculptural accessories, the sisters’ approach to fashion extends far beyond product.
Both women are vocal advocates for buying less and buying better, regularly styling vintage garments alongside contemporary pieces to create wardrobes that transcend seasonality. Their aesthetic – pared-back, architectural, and elevated – has made them influential voices within the sustainable fashion movement, particularly among those seeking an alternative to overt trend cycles.
Bay Garnett
Few figures have shaped the perception of second-hand fashion quite like Bay Garnett. A British fashion editor, stylist, and long-standing advocate for pre-loved clothing, Garnett is widely credited with bringing charity shop fashion into the mainstream long before sustainability became industry shorthand.
As a former fashion director of i-D and a contributing editor to Vogue, Garnett has styled countless editorials using vintage and second-hand pieces, proving that creativity thrives within constraints. She is also the co-founder of Second Hand September, the global campaign encouraging consumers to buy only second-hand for the month – a movement that has since become a cornerstone of sustainable fashion advocacy.
Garnett’s influence lies not just in what she wears, but in how she has changed the conversation around value, waste, and style itself.
See also: The Five Womenswear Brands We’re Watching in 2026
Oyindamola Animashaun (aka Zeda)
Known professionally as Zeda, Oyindamola Animashaun is a Dublin-based stylist, visual artist, and cultural commentator whose work sits at the intersection of fashion, identity, and sustainability. Originally from Nigeria, Zeda’s styling often draws on vintage and archival pieces to explore themes of heritage and self-expression.
Her work has been featured across fashion editorials, film, and digital media, and she is recognized for her ability to re-contextualize vintage garments. As both a stylist and journalist, Zeda brings intellectual rigor to her approach, viewing clothing as a cultural artefact.
