What Are Fashion’s Future Classics? – Charm

We’ve reached peak fashion nostalgia. So how did we get here? Well, first off, there was 2024’s Brat Summer (thanks to Charli XCX), followed by the revival of the iconic Balenciaga City bag. Simultaneously, fashion lovers worldwide were hit with the vintage bug—scouring second-hand shops like the RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and Fashionphile for Christian Dior J’Adior tees and saddle bags, Tom Ford–era Gucci sunglasses, Fendi Spy bags, low-rise Miss Sixty jeans, and more. This past March, the concept of what’s old is new again reached even greater heights with fresh iterations of Chloé’s Paddington bag, the aforementioned Dior tee, and Alexander McQueen’s popular skull print appearing on the runways in Paris.

Let’s face it: Fashion trends have been and always will be cyclical, but the idea of a cult-item resurgence is novel—and obviously fruitful. It seems now more than ever, certain brands are tapping into their own archives to bring back once-sold-out items from their past collections. Shoppers and vintage fans no longer need to search far and wide for ready-to-wear and accessories that once took up space in their parents’ and grandparents’ closets; instead, they can go directly to the source. Chloé, Dior, and McQueen are not the only luxury houses looking back on old successes. Louis Vuitton relaunched its unforgettable Marc Jacobs–spearheaded collaboration with Takashi Murakami this January (selling out in a matter of hours), and Jacobs unearthed another print from LV’s past—Stephen Sprouse’s neon graffiti—on his namesake label’s Tote bag.

Courtesy of The Row

The Row Resort 2024

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to decipher between what is vintage and what is new, and as a result it’s impossible not to think about what this trend’s impact might be on our consumer behavior in seasons to come. Enter the idea of future nostalgia—no, not the Dua Lipa album (although it’s probably garnered as many listens as the words “John Galliano Dior” have been searched on Google worldwide), but the idea that in a few decades from now we will undoubtedly long for ready-to-wear and accessories that are trending today. So which items from 2024–2025 will make their way back to the It lists of It girls? Our money is on the Row’s 90s bag, Connor Ives’s Protect the Dolls T-shirt, and Loewe’s makeup-brush heels, especially now that Jonathan Anderson has officially left the Spanish label. We also would bet the Miu Miu x New Balance sneakers will be huge, simply due to their popularity (and consistent sold-out status) in the retail space. Nordstrom associate fashion director Linda Cui Zhang would agree. “There was a huge influence of sport on footwear, with covetable aero runner sneakers from Miu Miu (especially x New Balance) to Dries van Noten to Prada,” she says.

Stylist Yashua Simmons has a more expansive point of view. “Anything from Dries [Van Noten]’s, Hedi [Slimane]’s, Jonathan [Anderson]’s, [John] Galliano’s, [Matthieu] Blazy’s, and Demna [Gvasalia]’s final collections,” he says. “It was a big moment for designer send-offs at very big maisons. People love to say, ‘This was from his final collection’ about a piece of fashion.” Writer and fashion critic Katharine Zarrella would second Simmons’s opinion, especially when it comes to Anderson at Loewe. “Lots of pieces from his tenure are going to be future vintage, but I’d say his deflated balloon heels are going to be in high demand,” she says. “I mean, what better encapsulates this bizarro era than a balloon that’s about to pop?”

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Loewe SS 2025

Liana Satenstein, writer and newscaster of #Neverworns, also believes it’s about items that define a certain time period. “I think anything that encapsulates a moment or radiates a movement or a culture will be collectible,” she says. “I already know of a vintage dealer—Pechuga Vintage in L.A.—who collects the Marc Jacobs Kiki Boots, but other pieces that come to mind are from smaller designers like Sc103 link bags, early Telfar bags, and Luar Ana bags. Those brands are tapped into their shoppers and fans.”

It’s not only Marc Jacobs Kiki Boots that Pechuga Vintage’s Johnny Valencia is after. “The ‘future vintage’ pieces I have my eyes on include Prada Spring/Summer 2025 headscarves with the lenses attached, the giant Chanel pearl necklaces from Fall/Winter 2025, and the [Maison] Margiela Artisanal x [Christian] Louboutin pumps,” he says. “You’ll want to collect the ‘oddities’ or show pieces and the items that marked a turning point for a house, which could be from a collection during a transitional period or one that put the house codes into a historical aspect.” For Zarrella, that would be the Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2024 pinstripe skirt suit. “It defined the season, was worn everywhere by everyone who emulates ‘cool,’ and marked an aesthetic shift for the brand,” she says.

Filippo Fortis

Loewe’s balloon heels

For Alejandro, the talent behind the buzzy Instagram account @y2kbags, it’s all about accessories—obviously. “The 2010s are making a comeback, so Phoebe Philo Celine bags—the Luggage tote and Trapeze bag, specifically—are going to be huge,” he says. “Also, Riccardo Tisci–era Givenchy bags, like the Nightingale, Pandora, and Antigona, and Daniel Lee’s Bottega Veneta Pouch. From 2024 specifically, I would say Alaïa’s Le Teckel bag, the Row Margaux, the Row Half Moon and 90s, and the Louis Vuitton multicolor Takashi Murakami collection are forever!!”

The RealReal’s chief brand officer, Kristen Naiman, has another point of view. “We think Alaïa’s Le Teckel bag and the Miu Miu Arcadie will eventually become ubiquitous and have the inevitable drop off, making way for a Fendi Baguette–style resurgence,” she says. “All things the Row will have vintage staying power, not unlike vintage ’70s and ’80s YSL. The quality fabrics, cuts, and the way the styles are both distinct but can melt into so many different style voices will give these pieces longevity on the secondary market.”

COURTESY OF MAISON MARGIELA

Maison Margiela Spring 2024

It would be remiss not to further mention Matthieu Blazy–era Bottega Veneta, a common callout among Naiman, Zhang, and Zarrella. For Naiman and Zhang, the bags that Blazy reimagined will hold their value, especially the classic silhouettes. “Bottega Veneta’s heritage Intrecciato technique rendered into the structured, sensible Andiamo bag is a timeless handbag to buy now and wear forever,” says Zhang. Zarrella again has her eye on the ready-to-wear. “Among the many future vintage pieces Matthieu designed for Bottega Veneta, his trompe l’oeil plaid shirt and jeans—both of which were actually made of buttery leather—stand out,” she says. “They marked the fizzle of maximalism and the return of quality, wearable luxury clothes that are inherently interesting. Don’t call them quiet luxury because they’re not. I like to call them ‘un-shouty chic.’”

Whatever you choose to call them, it’s time to invest in these pieces before it’s too late. Remember, there are only so many available out there, and what’s even worse is that over time they will undoubtedly become more expensive. And with the recently approved tariffs in the United States (we won’t depress you with more details on that ongoing situation), luxury goods may not be easier to afford anytime soon.

Perhaps then all we have to indulge in is that sentimental longing for the past, driven by whatever person, place, or thing we associate with happiness. Nostalgia is the name.