Avant-Garde New Yorkers Share What They Learned About Themselves From Their Closets

What does avant-garde fashion look like in one of the world’s most cutting-edge cities? These dressers, spotted on the streets of New York, personify avant garde; rather than kowtowing to commercial trends, they interpret them with their own aesthetic. Below, they share what they’ve learned about themselves from their closets.

Liisa Jokinen, street-style photographer and founder of the the NYC Vintage Map, knows a thing or two about vintage fashion. For 2018, rather than following a particular style trend, Jokinen has curated a wardrobe that’s entirely vintage. For this feature, she photographed some avant-garde dressers on the streets of New York City who also curate wardrobes from their vintage finds.

Marion, @marionyc

Spotted at ‘A Current Affair’ vintage fair in Industry City.

Spotted on the streets of New York City, Marion

Culture Trip: What do you look for when shopping vintage?
Marion: I am looking for something special, a piece that has had a life already.
CT: What is your favorite decade to shop?
M: The ’60s and ’70s—although recently I am also intrigued by the ’80s. There is some pretty outrageous vintage to be found in that decade.
CT: What is your favorite vintage find and why?
M: Oh, there are many favorites. I found a Dior dress in a Chicago store once and the kid in the store didn’t even know what treasure he was selling me for $20. [Other favorites include] a red sequin jumpsuit, which my first vintage piece, a coat I bought in Milan more than 20 years ago, my collection of vintage jewelry—I could go on and on.
CT: Who is your favorite designer?
M: I don’t have one favorite designer, but recently found a great Bill Blass coat, a Pierre Cardin blazer, and a Courrèges bag. Vintage Balenciaga glasses are beautiful. Adele Simpson made some beautiful pieces, and Bonnie Cashin has great pieces. I also have a fondness for vintage Gucci and Fendi bags.
CT: What have you learned about yourself from your closet?
I learned that I like to play with clothes. I have fun with the way I dress by inspiring people to be a little more daring.

Lace, @thyckgurl69

Spotted at MoMa PS1.

Spotted on the streets of New York City, Lace

Culture Trip: What do you look for when shopping vintage?
Lace: Suits and sets, unusual jackets, oversized men’s items, and silk scarves.
CT: What is your favorite decade to shop?
L: The ’70s, because I love the silhouettes, and I’m a sucker for a weird print and a synthetic fabric.
CT: What is your favorite vintage find and why?
L: This incredible green paisley Oscar de la Renta suit I found on eBay. It’s weird and fun, and I can wear it with sneakers and a T-shirt or dress it up for a wedding. It’s super versatile without being boring.
CT: Who is your favorite designer?
L: Gucci. I’m really into the maximalism.
CT: What have you learned about yourself from your closet?
L: My tastes change constantly! You can look through my whole closet and see every different phase I’ve had in the past few years.

Blake, @blakennotstirred

Spotted in Tribeca.

Spotted on the streets of New York City, Blake

Culture Trip: What do you look for when shopping vintage?
Blake: That hidden gem, the best find, a piece that makes the hunt worth while. Right now, that could means a high-waist menswear trouser, a cropped children’s blazer a lá Thom Browne, an interesting bag, hat or a piece of jewelry.
CT: What is your favorite decade to shop?
B: All decades. Although recently my favorites have been a fusion of ’40s menswear and ’70s womenswear.
CT: What is your favorite vintage find and why?
B: In Tarpon Springs, Florida, I found a ’70s three-piece Yves Saint Laurent cashmere wool blend suit in light grey, perfectly tailored to my body as if it were bespoke. $17.99. I almost fainted.
CT: Who is your favorite designer?
B: It changes often, but I will always love (old) McQueen, Thom Browne, 1970s YSL, and Loewe. Currently, I’m obsessed with Gucci and the F/W 2018 collection of Carlos Campos; I want every single piece, male and female.
CT: What have you learned about yourself from your closet?
B: I cannot stop shopping. In all seriousness I am a lover of all decades and apparel. I love to mix decades and genders together creating an idiosyncratic silhouette and aesthetic which is my personal style.

Leigh, @pinkvintagehrt

Spotted outside the Manhattan Vintage Fair.

Spotted on the streets of New York City, Leigh

CT: What do you look for when shopping vintage?
L: Because I have such a massive vintage collection I look for the pieces on my vintage shopping list. At the moment I’m looking for T-shirts, trousers, and maxi cotton dresses. I also keep my eye out for very special pieces.
CT: What is your favorite decade to shop?
L: The ’80s and ’90s but sometimes I am attracted to pieces from the ’20s, ’40s, ’50s and ’70s.
CT: What is your favorite vintage find and why?
L: Wow. I have so many. My favorite recent vintage was a straw purse from Omnia Vintage at the past Manhattan Vintage Show.
CT: Who is your favorite designer?
L: Being a fashion lover, I totally should follow designers a bit better. I love seeing Nancy Tran, Greta Constantine and Runa Ray during the shows.
CT: What have you learned about yourself from your closet?
L: Change is so good. I must have a zest for life, [which explains] all the color I tend to wear.

About the author

Jill Di Donato

Fashion Editor

Jill is a New York native who holds a BA in Literature from Barnard College, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University. She is the author of the novel Beautiful Garbage (She Writes Press, 2013) about the downtown Manhattan art and fashion scene in the 1980s. A former staff writer for The Huffington Post and Bustle, Jill comes to Culture Trip after working with Refinery 29, Vice, Salon, Paste Style, Los Angeles Times, Nylon, Shopify, Autre, and producing content for emerging fashion labels. She teaches classes about fashion and culture at Barnard College and The Fashion Institute of Technology. Her prized possessions are her Gucci fanny pack, vintage rocker t-shirts, and her grandmother's collection of costume jewelry. She's always on the lookout for a gem-encrusted turban.