The Rise of the Archive Wardrobe

Once relegated to dusty rails and whispered bargains, vintage fashion now commands the kind of reverence once reserved for couture salons

- By MAITHREYI SOOREJ

Today, it signals discernment. In penthouses from Mumbai to Milan, collectors slip into 1990s silk slips and 1980s power jackets with the assurance of connoisseurs handling art. Pre-owned clothing, once associated with thrift and compromise, is now an catchment of high finance and cultural cachet. Globally, resale platforms have turned archival fashion into a billion-rupee industry. In India, where bridal couture reigns supreme and heirloom saris pass through generations, the appetite for storied garments feels both novel and instinctively familiar.