My Love For Vintage
I will always remember my 30th birthday….
Not necessarily because I loved so much Balzac’s” La Femme de trente ans “ but especially because of one birthday gift that totally opened my eyes and appetite for collecting and wearing vintage clothes. That particular gift was a vintage Leonard dress that was exactly as old as I was.
The unexpected gift came from my mother in law ( I remember I was at our house in Germany and I woke up that morning ready for a big party and dinner and she just came and told me she has something special for me… then she told me my father in law got it for her in Paris during one of his conferences ( he was a doctor so they were traveling quite a lot) and , the part I loved the most and I just knew me and her are so much alike was when she told me : my husband gave me this on my 30th birthday and he asked me to choose between another racing horse and this dress . The choice was obvious in front of me ! I just knew from that day that we will get along very well. The dress was so simple and yet so elegant; long black with sheer sleeves in pink printed chiffon . I wore it a few times including an official reception at an Embassy in Tokyo and absolutely everyone asked me about it.
Then I started being interested more and more in vintage items: some beautiful 150 years old earrings, a vintage Gucci bag , some crocodile travel cases, a vintage mink coat and surprise surprise, last month I found a gorgeous brown Louis Vuitton bag at home ( with no monograms , just plain brown ) that made me rethink my entire attitude towards the brand and shamefully enough I had to admit how much I loved wearing it at a dinner party we hosted at The Residence in Wurzburg .
Last year during Firenze fashion week decided to immerge myself into history and relive the entire vintage concept by having the preview of PHERES collection inside the former residence of Medici Family in Florence.. It was magnificent to spend 5 days at the residence, having friends from Japan and around the world staying together , feeling the history , being surrounded by original 15th century frescoes and being able to actually sleep in the same rooms as Lorenzo de Medici and his family . The atmosphere of my suite “ Marchesa Pheres “ took me 5 centuries back in time. It was the perfect inspiration for a glamorous Renaissance inspired collection .
