Why are we so in love with vintage?

Posted by Kiki & Me on August 19, 2011 0 Comments

Whether it’s fabric, clothes, jewellery, cars, furniture, books … (I could go on and on), there’s something very appealing about the styles and products of days gone by. I’m not writing this because I have an answer to the question, it’s more of a rhetorical one. It’s just a fact that we are in love with vintage.

So, what is 'vintage'?  Vintage [adj]- denoting something from the past of high quality, especially something representing the best of its kind (Oxford Dictionary). 

Maybe the items and styles of our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents are valuable to us because they remind us of a time when technology didn’t rule and life was more simple, more romantic perhaps?

I wonder also if in this day of fast food, fast service, fast everything… we’ve been conditioned to throw away and replace and the benchmark for quality has dropped over the decades.  Vintage is viewed as superior as it’s stood the test of time, still functioning decades after manufacture.

And then there’s the environmental impact of making and throwing stuff away. Vintage enthusiasts who reuse, recycle or upcycle things from the past are friends of the earth, whether they realise it or not.  Less consumption and waste can only be a good thing!

My particular interest is in vintage style textiles, accessories and furnishings.  I have a fondness (those who know me well might call it an obsession) for a few brands that have embraced vintage and retro styles:

Orla Kiely is a British fashion designer known for her colourful use of graphics. She says her design signature is “colour, pattern and texture with a 60s twist.”  

Cath Kidston began by selling vintage fabrics, wallpapers and brightly-painted junk furniture back in 1993, inspired by fond memories from her childhood. She now has a vast range of home-ware, clothing, accessories and furnishing materials.

Marimekko, established in 1951, is a Finnish textile and clothing design company renowned for its original prints and colours.

Liberty established in 1875 and now synonymous with quality rugs, furnishing and dress fabrics, jewellery and accessories.  Some of their design prints are till in use today, over 100 years later.  "They are best known for their floral prints, but also have masterful, gorgeous novelty and geometric prints". (trueup.net)

At Kiki & Me, although our items are all newly handcrafted, we make use of recycled fabric samples in some of our products and have gorgeous jewellery made from vintage glass and resin cabochons. Our careful handcrafting methods may result in Kiki & Me products being the vintage of the future!

Until next time, what treasured vintage items do you own or desire?