Trends come and go, but the fashion industry never misses a chance to take a stroll down memory lane.
Brands often revisit their archives, mining the past for inspiration that feels familiar. This says a lot about how great designs rarely go out of style.
Take, for example, Loewe’s Puzzle bag. When it was released in 2015 under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson, it felt like a quiet revolution – architectural, yet understated and refreshingly modern.
A recent 10th anniversary celebration has seen the bag return to the spotlight, not as a relic, but a reimagined classic.
Reissued in limited edition, they celebrate the original design language while subtly evolving its silhouette for a new generation of wearers.
Jimmy Choo is also looking back in time. The footwear brand (which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year) is honouring Carrie Bradshaw’s favourite heels as part of a special archive collection.
It is a smart move – drawing on the enduring cultural influence of television show Sex And The City, which defined trends in the early 2000s.
One design is a pair of dreamy feather-embellished lilac suede slingbacks. The original appeared in a scene where the lead character trips while running after a departing ferry, exclaiming, “Wait! I lost my Choo!”
For Zara’s 50th anniversary, 50 of the world’s most iconic models including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Twiggy and more stepped in front of the camera for a huge campaign.
The brand also released a 128-piece collection that draws on its strengths, described in the press release as “centred around the monochrome classicism of tuxedo dressing” with a “seductive palette of black”.
Fendi’s Autumn/Winter 2025 show in February paid tribute to the fashion house’s 100 years of design. Models took to the runway in looks that blended archival designs with contemporary artistry.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, however, said that she did not want to spend too much time dwelling on the physical archives.
“For me, Fendi 100 is more about my personal memories – real or imagined – of what Fendi was and what Fendi means today,” her press statement read.
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Jacquemus, having turned 15 years old this year, released an archive-inspired capsule collection in March.
Reissued pieces include the Castagna minidress, famously worn by Kylie Jenner at the landmark Spring/Summer 2024 show. Others, like the 2013 white U dress, delve further into the archives, nodding to Jacquemus’ early flirtations with sporty, space-age silhouettes.
The new designs serve as a vibrant tribute to the brand’s legacy, seamlessly carrying the past into the present and hinting at what’s to come.
Finally, you have The Fold launching a five-piece limited-edition collection using Liberty fabrics in celebration of the London retailer’s 150th anniversary.
Announced last week, the collection will include re-coloured prints from Liberty’s scarf archive, with designs dating back to the 1970s.
