Date: Fri 26-Mar-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: DONNAM

Quick Words:

Metropolitan

Full Text:

A Buying Crowd For Metropolitan's Vintage Fashion

NEW YORK CITY -- "This show was the best show of my career!" exclaimed

long-time dealer Stacey Winnick, proprietor of Vintage by Stacey Lee, when

describing the Vintage Fashion & Antique Textile Show hosted in January by

Metropolitan.

Other dealers also noted that the event broke sales records for them. The

show, held at the Metropolitan Pavilion, enjoyed its highest gate ever,

bringing in more than 2,000 buyers to the three-day event. Attendees came from

across the country and Europe to shop, and the crowd included designers,

curators, collectors, stylists as well as stylish New Yorkers searching for

eclectic pieces to add to their personal collections.

Metropolitan's location, blocks from some of the world's most important

fashion and design houses, attracts buyers searching for inspiration for

upcoming designs and collections. According to Metropolitan, designers from

such powerhouses as Tommy Hilfiger, The Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Ralph

Lauren, Calvin Klein, Bennetton and J. Crew were spotted sourcing the show,

along with designers such as Jill Stuart, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Mary

McFadden, Norma Kamali and Vivienne Tam.

Donna Karan, one of the biggest buyers at the show, was busy stocking up on

inspiration from military outerwear from Odds & Ads and funky go-go boots and

shoes from Cherry. Other fashionable notables included Randolph Duke, formerly

the head designer for the re-vamped Halston label, who recently started his

own line; hair-guru Frederic Fekkai; singer Suzanne Vega; Valerie Steel of the

Museum at F.I.T.; as well as buyers from The Smithsonian Institute and

Sotheby's.

The exhibitors at the recent show offered thousands of pieces dating back from

the 1800s through the 1970s, including clothing and accessories for men, women

and children as well as home textiles, linens and original artwork and

swatches. Designers represented included such houses as Dior, Halston,

Fortuny, Gernreich, Courreges, Lilli Ann, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Bonnie

Cashin, Galanos, Pierre Cardin, Oleg Cassini, Pauline Trigiere, Claire

McCardell, Schiaprelli, Ceil Chapman, Gucci and Pucci.

Dealers noticed strong buying trends among designers, namely accessories such

as handbags, both for spring and fall, as well as ornamented clothing,

including beaded and embroidered sweaters and trimmed jackets and coats.

Designers were looking for colorful pieces, as well as reference material,

including vintage Vogue and Bazaar, vintage designer patterns and ephemera.

Individual dealers had their own selling trends at the New York show. Cherry

of New York City boasted strong sales in couture shoes, while David Owens

Vintage Clothing of Flushing, N.Y. was selling out of lady's suede '60s

jackets and '40s neckties for men.

Michele Liao, of Philadelphia, Penn., specializes in antique Chinese and

Japanese textiles and clothing and sold dozens of padded silk and fur-lined

coats, and Gandia-Todd, of Vermont, said she was selling items from all

periods including clothing, trims, buttons, quilting materials and jewelry.

Handbags, always a hot item with Metropolitan's accessory-savvy crowd, were

popular with Vintage by Stacey Lee, who sold over 70 at the event, including

original Gucci bags with the green and red ribbon trim, which are currently

being re-issued, as well as other designer and non-designer purses in a

variety of styles, shapes and colors.

The number of retail consumers is rapidly growing as is the appeal of vintage

wearable clothing and home furnishings. Possible due to the designers'

incorporation of antique inspiration, retail consumers were looking for fun,

funky, elegant and one-of-a-kind items for themselves. Colorful clothing with

interesting details, high-quality finishing and items made from hard-to0find,

luxury fabrics or hand-made folk wear were popular, as well as vintage

designer and non-designer shoes and boots.

Footwear included Edwardian and Victorian two-toned lace-up boots, Asian

slippers, '50s swing styles as well as colorful, space-age-inspired '60s go-go

boots and metallic Famolare and Kinney disco shoes from the late '70s.

Home textiles and accessories were strong sellers at the event, with buyers

sifting through hundreds of linens, upholstery fabrics, ticking, quilts,

pillows and window treatments. Modern fabrics, including mid-century,

space-age and bark cloth for the home, were a popular buy, as were colorful

and kitschy '50s printed tablecloths with matching napkins.

Other finds included hand-made American quilts and hand-embroidered pillows,

as well as antique trimmings, early lace, colorful chintzes from the '50s and

textile documents.

Antique shawls, including Kashmiri, fringed Victorian, Chinese and Japanese

hand-dyed silk scarves and hand-crocheted pieces were several sought-after

items as buyers were purchasing delicate hand-made, folk pieces, exotic

textiles and ethnic prints and patterns from Europe, Africa, South America,

Mexico and Asia, as well as early American Art Deco items.

An extra show has been added and the show will expand to more than 70 dealers

in the fall of this year. The remaining shows will be held April 23-25, June

11-13, and October 8-10. For information, 212/463-0200.