What inspired you to start collecting vintage and/or archival fashion pieces? And what was your first significant purchase?

I first started exploring fashion when I was in high school. By the time I was studying fashion, I had started buying pieces via eBay. This would have been early 2001/2002, so there wasn’t much available in Perth or online at that time. I remember my first item was an Ann Demeulemeester white tank from SS199; I still have it. I feel that was my first foray into avant-garde fashion designers. Although, to my Year 12 ball, I did wear a Wild and Lethal Trash (Walter Van Beirendonck) dress with big black boots and twisted my hair with black extensions and feathers on the end. Come to think of it, that is very Ann D!

Diana wears her navy satin Maison Margiela strapless dress, leather Tabi gloves and beige Tabi pumps.

Can you describe how your personal style has evolved over the years and the key influences that have shaped it?

Fashion was a way for me to communicate my interests without having to vocalise too much. Strangely, I was always fairly confident about my personal style. I was definitely a risk-taker, pushing the boundaries of what an outfit should be. I was always very crafty, not skilled, but really enjoyed crafting things, like reconstructing old clothes and making jewellery out of old toys or found electrical objects. Starting Dilettante obviously gave me access to luxury fashion. I would order anything that was odd and quite strange but in a beautiful way. My wardrobe was full of Undercover, Ann Demeulemeester, A.F Vandevorst, Yohji Yamamoto, Maison Margiela, and some intensely embellished Peachoo+Krejberg beaded pieces. Over time, I felt like I no longer had to prove anything to anyone. I’ve begun to care less about what others think of me and, along with having two kids in the last seven years (and being extremely time poor), my style is much more understated. I gravitate towards my Uma Wang trousers, Rick Owens or Marc Le Bihan tops and a Song For The Mute jacket with Rick boots or Uma ballerina flats.

How do you see the role of archival and vintage fashion in promoting sustainability within the fashion industry?

It helps people understand what quality construction is and how good design is timeless. I believe it also encourages designers and consumers to continue to pursue their own vision and their own aesthetic and not get enticed by fleeting trends.

Left: Caeley wears her Ann Demeulemeester white gown. Right: Ann Demeulemeester velour drape top and black trousers.

What inspired you to start collecting vintage and/or archival fashion pieces? And what was your first significant purchase?

I’ve been fascinated by the act of dressing as a form of storytelling to convey an emotion or mood for as long as I can remember. I studied theatre, and costume has always been somewhat of a portal into embodying characters or expressing something that cannot be said. I am particularly drawn to clothing with a past life; pieces of intrigue that carry tales of their own, a dress that would sit down and tell me a wild story if I asked where she’d been. For me, the allure of collecting lies in a never-ending quest to find those special pieces that exist in a world of their own. This quest has cost me both time and money.

A purchase I’ll never forget was a pair of silver Vivienne Westwood toe shoes from an early 2000s collection that referenced Bacchus the Roman god and looked like the paws of a mythical creature. I’d spied them in an archival store, atop a great hill whilst walking down to a beach with an old boyfriend on a scorching hot day. Naturally I couldn’t stop thinking about these magical silver hooves and made him walk back up the hill with me so that I could make them mine. I always felt guilty for it! Years later someone stole a pair of 1980s vintage Chanel sandals from my towel on that very same beach. A shoe for a shoe you might say.

Can you describe how your personal style has evolved over the years and the key influences that have shaped it?

My personal style has historically been a bit eclectic and weird. I used to feel myself wearing a green Gaultier catsuit to do the groceries, but these days I optimise for comfort; likely a reflection of also feeling a lot more comfortable in my own skin. As a mother of an almost two-year-old, the amount of washing is unfathomable, so Uma Wang jeans and yesterday’s t-shirt is often it. I preference natural fibres like organic cotton, cashmere and wool. When I’m feeling fancy I love archival Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Comme or anything from Dilettante, of course.

Caeley wears her Ann Demeulemeester white gown and brown leather Jil Sander jacket.

How do you see the role of archival and vintage fashion in promoting sustainability within the fashion industry?

Vintage and archival pieces are made better, the same quality and craftsmanship just doesn’t exist like it did anymore. Investing in a few iconic designer pieces you’ll cherish forever is much more sustainable than buying something cheap and mass produced. I guess we could all do better when it comes to excess and waste and buying into circular fashion is a start.

 Andrea Goh

Andrea wears her Comme des Garçons jacket, skirt and shoes.

What inspired you to start collecting vintage and/or archival fashion pieces? And what was your first significant purchase? When I was first drawn to brands such as Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe and Issey Miyake, I didn't have the means to buy them first-hand. Buying pre-loved pieces from these labels was an accessible way of attaining them. That was the start, and I've been collecting pre-loved, vintage and archival pieces ever since. My first significant purchase was a Pleats Please Issey Miyake American Comics dress from the 1990s. I got it on eBay and it was such a steal.