Vintage Luxury Brands – LVMH Versus Dior
Why I look for vintage Dior, Versace and Fendi before the new collections: what my hand and eye tell me about leather, weight and finish.
For me, the Dior worth having is the old Dior. The house now belongs to LVMH, which owns many of the famous names in luxury.
Old Dior and new Dior
In Rome I went round the shops and compared the new leather pieces from Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Dior. I can only tell you what my hand and my eye tell me. When I pick up a new leather piece from one of the big houses, to me it feels lighter than the old ones, and the small details are fewer. I am not talking about a factory or a balance sheet. I am talking about the piece in front of me.
Why I buy vintage instead
Vintage pieces are rare. They are one-offs that will never be found on the high street, and that is what I am after.
My Christian Dior sunglasses are from the 1980s and were made in Austria. The stamp is still crisp on the frame. I found them on Vestiaire Collective.
LVMH and the leather business
LVMH is a giant in leather goods. I understand that a business has to grow and compete. But for me luxury was never about how much you can make. To me the old pieces are better made, and that is where my money goes.
Vintage Fendi and Versace
If you want the feel good factor of owning something from a great house, look at vintage first. Finding a Fendi or a Versace piece that suits your style is a joy. My Gianni Versace Medusa belt is from the 1980s, and the metal is heavy. You know it when you pick it up.
The fun of it
There is something funny about hunting for high fashion in second-hand shops. But the hunt is the reward. And I like to know I got a good bargain.
Image: Vogue, 1 April 1950
What I hope for
I would love to see Dior go back to putting quality before quantity. Until then, I will keep buying old.
