Moda Operandi Vintage Week

Vintage YSL Flower Earrings from House of Lavande, $848 at modaoperandi.com

When Lauren Santo Domingo and Aslaug Magnusdottir launched Moda Operandi, the company that allows trendsetters to get their hands on designers collections pretty much as soon as they hit the runway, during New York Fashion Week earlier this year, the whole industry loved the idea so much, the question on everyone’s mind was: Why hadn’t anyone thought of it earlier? Maybe it was just the right time. As the recession hit, theoutnet.com caught the zeitgeist perfectly. But a few years in people began to long for the glamour that was once attached to shopping for clothes. Yes, a discount on a dress you can’t afford otherwise is exciting and bargain hunting is – and always will be – still very much part of the fashion game. But as consumers try to be as individual as they can, so has to be the approach to catering to them.

Another factor that has contributed to the success of Moda Operandi is the wide availability of fashion week coverage. Such a hype is being created lately, it makes absolute sense to bring the moment when a potential customer falls in love with an item and the moment they actually get to buy it closer together.

But what will MO do in between fashion weeks, you may wonder. They promised to have a few ideas up their sleeves and now they start letting us in on their secrets. This week saw the launch of ‘vintage week’. Already running are the Lynn Ban’s 60s and 70s trunk show which will end on June 7th and the House of Lavande trunk show which will end on June 8th. Lynn Ban curated a collection of outstanding vintage pieces that feel like a lesson on fashion in their respective decades. There is a Courreges Mod coat, YSL dresses, the most striking and minimal Azzaro LBD (which is very little indeed!), a Geoffrey Beene evening dress and many more. What stands out to me is how simple the clothes are. I’m really glad we’re back to this approach to dressing for now! Tracy Smith selected very angular and graphic pieces for the House of Lavande edit. You’ll find everything from one-of-a-kind YSL and Pierre Cardin jewellery to a classic 1930s Bakelit bracelet of unknown origin. Again, most pieces are very streamlined which means that those eye-catchers will slot in nicely with a modern wardrobe.

Many items in  those two sales is gone already (sorry, I’m late on this one) but fret not, darlings! Lynn Ban’s 80s and 90s trunk show is starting today. I’m very excited to see what will be on offer. Mugler? Alaia? Gaultier?

(Moda Operandi is a membership site and you need a login to gain access to their trunk shows. You can, however, apply for membership.)

***UPDATE: Looks like the Lynn Ban’s 80s and 90s trunk show has been pushed back to June 3rd in favour of Foundwell Vintage Watches and an Hermes auction.***