Editor's Picks: The Grotesque Archive and Second Skin Archive

Once upon a time, op-shops were vintage fashion cornucopias full of hidden gems. Many have heard stories about 1970s ‘Halston jackets’ and original 1920s ‘flapper gowns’. 

It was the golden age of designer vintage lucky-dips. Presently, the local ‘goodwill’ seems to have run dry of designer goods, in turn, rendering the seasoned shopper helpless in the face of tan-sodden, H&M ribbed t-shirts.

As it would happen, vintage outfits and the nineties have certainly had their resurgences, respectively. Sadly, what would’ve been the best outlet for nineties designer fashion—the second-hand shop—isn’t always the most reliable source. But need not worry, these two archival retailers are reliable, recyclable syphons of all that is needed when revisiting the golden age. 

The Grotesque Archive is based in Berlin and curated by Alienor Oran. Second Skin Archive is located in the United Kingdom and curated by Millie Foster Price. Both house an equally extensive and exclusive selection of vintage designers from the 1990s and early 2000s. Each with their own aesthetics and both, with an extensive and hardy selection of garments.

The Grotesque Archive operates online and by appointment at their store in Berlin. Second Skin Archive, on the other hand, has embraced the convenience of Depop and runs their store through the online fashion marketplace. 

Both stores stock a range of brands, traipsing the megalithic design houses of Jean Paul Gaultier, Miu Miu and Comme des Garcons, to more obscure icons. These include designers such as Le Grande Bleu (LBG) and Nozomi Ishiguro, who worked for Comme des Garcons from 1985 until 1997 before founding his personal atelier in 1998. All items have been meticulously curated by each store.

Be sure to check out The Grotesque Archive and Second Skin Archive’s diverse yet poignant range of clothes, shoes and accessories. 

We love a trend that is both sustainable and sexy.