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We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: the vintage fashion revolution is upon us. As customers become acutely aware of the environmental impact of their consumption habits, the incessant rigmarole of fast fashion consumption is becoming painfully outdated, and secondhand shopping is becoming cool again. Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, and Dua Lipa are among the starlets opting for vintage over off-the-rack—and brands like Gucci are embracing the ‘circular economy’ by encouraging the re-sale of secondhand pieces through apps like The RealReal.
The latest big name to embrace secondhand style? Miuccia Prada. Ever the industry pioneer, Miuccia has tapped into our current cultural moment with a new initiative called ‘Miu Miu Upcycled’, creating a capsule collection of bespoke party dresses made with repurposed material. Miu Miu tapped vintage stores from around the globe to source pieces from the ’30s through to the ’80s, keeping the original fabrications and silhouettes, then adding modernized embellishments (think: satin bows, feather trims, statement puff sleeves) using materials from the Miu Miu atelier.
The end result is 80 one-of-a-kind dresses, which will are individually numbered (collector status beckons) and will be sold in-store at one of nine Miu Miu flagships: Milan, London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and St. Moritz. As far as ending out the year on a high note, dancing your way into 2021 in a baby pink, crystal-embellished upcycled number by Miu Miu seems pretty unbeatable—even if you are sipping champagne and dancing to Madonna from the confines of your own living room.
Far from a one-off venture, Miu Miu’s interest in upcycling seems to be a long-term commitment—they’ve also announced a partnership with Levis. Specific details of the collaboration (including a launch date) are still being kept under wraps, but the collection will see Miu Miu upcycle vintage 501s with their signature embellishments (think, jewel-encrusted pockets; lace contrasting), in a capsule that will launch in the coming spring. What’s that we hear? It’s the sound of a million women creating calendar alerts—expect a stampede.
