Perhaps it’s the troubled times in which we live or simply my advancing age, but I am continually interested in reliving my childhood. Whether it's the cars that I watched driving by when I was a school crossing guard at PS 95 in the Bronx, the furniture I remember in 70’s mid-century modern homes, the modern master artists I studied as they came of age as I did, or the fashion I loved and purchased in Italy in the early 80s, but to me, the singular hottest trend is retro itself.

For years I fancied myself as a car enthusiast and always had the best cars I could afford. I collected classic MGs as my kids were growing up, and drove the newest BMWs, Mercedes, Audis and Volvos. Now I spend countless hours looking for 20-40 year old cars in mint condition to drive on weekends, bring to car shows, and reflect on the days when I couldn’t afford most of them, but now can because fewer people want them. I just recently bought an older Mercedes for $12,000 which sold for $110,000 new. Driving it is a blast, and finding it like a needle in a haystack was just as much fun.

I reluctantly call myself a coin collector, but over the years I helped my boys collect the same coins I did growing up. Morgan and Liberty silver dollars, Franklin half dollars, Mercury dimes, silver war nickels and wheat pennies. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday or rainy day visiting grandparents in Florida. Now the coins are all boxed up in storage, collecting dust but the memories of the hunt for the missing coin are as vivid as the day we were obsessive collectors.

Since I first studied art history in high school, I always imagined myself as an art collector. In the 70s, the contemporary art scene was just getting started and I remember visiting the legendary galleries like Leo Castelli for school projects and being exposed to Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Barnett Newman, Robert Rauschenberg, Sol LeWitt and Donald Judd at a time when art was just starting to be expensive, but many great works were still available for 4, 5 or low 6 figures. Now I crave seeing these works, wander through museums, and wonder how I could have passed up these treasures. I passed on a series of Warhol prints in the West Village one Friday night for under $2,000 a print. The answer is simple, I didn’t have the money then, and because of the skyrocketing prices, I still don’t.

Over the past few years we have seen a major resurgence of the late 1900s fashion styles and, now in 2023 “retro” fashion is modern fashion. It’s no longer that vintage items are incorporated in modern fashion with a ‘70s style here and a ‘90s style there. The singular hottest fashion trend for 2023 is retro fashion itself. Pairing a ‘70s jean silhouette with a ‘90s crop top and ‘20s accessories is a 2023 look in and of itself. Some people have made retro into their entire business selling vintage purses, Gucci and Prada everything, and even sewing vintage Hermes scarves into ripped jeans and jean jackets.

Where does this push towards retro and vintage-inspired looks come from, and why is it becoming even more prevalent in the 2020s era?

“Vintage” for younger generations is the same as childhood or teen-hood for others. Gen Xers miss the late ‘80s and ‘90s fashion that defined their formative teen years. Millennials are loving that the baguette bag from the early 2000s is back. That’s because we have a nostalgia for those fashion styles that we used to wear during our carefree days. Fashion holds a lot of sentimental significance, particularly as a form of self-expression, so bringing back styles from our younger days feels like a return to a simpler time.

But it’s not just personal nostalgia, either. A lot of people have a nostalgia for times they never lived in. We watch old movies and listen to music that was cool even before we were born, and we’re thrown back to that historical period to imagine what it was like. Putting on vintage clothing from a specific period can time-travel us to the feelings of a different era. For example, ‘70s designs and styles are super popular right now because it’s reminiscent of the Woodstock-era of rebellion, freedom, music, and love, which a lot of young people are clinging to in today’s climate as well. Vintage clothing lets us live in a time we never lived in and experience a piece of history.

We are becoming more and more aware of the impact that our consumer choices have on the environment. We’re collectively realizing that fast fashion is wasteful and damaging to the environment. From enormous amounts of textile waste to harmful chemicals used during production, the quick churning out of new fashion trends is not-so-slowly killing our planet.

The classics are always in style. The “latest” trends may be cool, but they’re not for everyone (not everyone wants to rock platform thigh-high boots in their everyday life). But those “classic” looks are made for everyone.

So as you explore your retro, let us know about it. If it's a car, send us a picture. If it's a mid-century modern couch, make sure we know about it. If it's a work of art you have always loved – even if you just inherited it – share it with us. Maybe we can help each other rediscover our youth, our freedom, and our earlier selves.

Craig Kaminer

Publisher

craig@slmag.net

Letter from the Publisher