Fearne Cotton has discovered the secret to becoming a fashion designer’s muse: Buy vintage.
Cotton met up with ‘The Vintage King’ William Banks-Blaney for her video series ‘Fearne On Fashion’ and he told her how vintage gems can inspire next season’s trends.
“Vintage has been a part of contemporary fashion since God was a boy,” said Banks-Blaney.
“Designers come to us for inspiration pieces because it’s about artists and everybody is inspired by something.
“It’s part of the machine of fashion.”
As Cotton rifled through Banks-Blaney’s rails of original couture pieces from the likes of Balmain and McQueen, he shares what makes a piece ‘timeless’.
“It’s a combo of great design and brilliant quality,” Banks-Blaney explained.
“Even if you’re looking at the lower price point in vintage, the construction was really fantastic and now things are not designed to last 30 years. The way they’re made, they are designed to give up the ghost after probably a year.”
Watch the video above to see Cotton’s ‘drunk dress’ discovery and learn more about what makes a piece “qualify” as vintage.
Banks-Blaney’s advice for first-time vintage shoppers
1. Get something that works for your own wardrobe.
2. Make sure it’s in great condition.
3. Mix vintage with contemporary for a look that represents you rather than the brand.
Fearne Cotton has delved behind the scenes of the fashion industry for a revealing new video series premiering on The Huffington Post UK Style. In the 10-part ‘Fearne On Fashion’ series Cotton shares an eye-opening insight into the chaos of Fashion Week, the virtues of vintage and what drives us to buy the latest high street trends in droves.