I am a firm believer that there is a vintage version of just about everything in the world of design.
A designer handbag, a cool couch …. with a few exceptions, almost anything you’re eyeing can be found at the thrift store.
There are a few trends I currently have my eye on and I believe all can be sourced by shopping secondhand (the beauty of shopping secondhand, of course, is that you almost always stumble across something new — so while you might set out looking for one of the below pieces, you’re sure to come across something else equally interesting).
Here’s what I’m digging for at the thrift store this month, before everyone else catches on and the good stuff makes its way into resale apps at triple the price.
1. Surrealism (Thank You, Schiaparelli)
Daniel Roseberry has been at the helm of Schiaparelli for the last seven years, turning the storied brand into one of the most talked-about houses in fashion. What sets it apart is its use of all things surrealist. Schiaparelli bags and jewelry are comprised of gilded body parts, and it doesn’t get much more surreal than that.
Surrealism was, for a very long time, on the fringes — kind of the weird and wacky trend of the art world. Now, it’s trendy!
Gio Ponti for Sabattini hand // 1972 Pedro Friedeberg print // vintage face brooch ($18!!)
Still, I think the aesthetic has quite a bit of runway left before it fully saturates the market and makes its way to places like Target and Amazon. And when it comes to shopping secondhand, nobody’s pricing a $6 broken-mirror clip or a lip-shaped brooch (both of which are quite surreal!) like they are pieces of art (not yet, anyway!)
This page from a 1970s René Magritte book would be excellent framed on a wall and it’s under $10.
What to look for:
Stuff with an eye, lip, hand, or ear motif (brooches, buttons, drawer handles, vases, etc.)
Trompe-l’œil art prints
Cloud-print patterns
Sculptural, oversized costume jewelry that looks fantastical
Anything gilded, distorted, or a little bit unsettling!
Coffee table books and vintage exhibition posters by artists like: Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, and Man Ray
Thrifting tip: It is very rare to find an original, museum-quality print at a thrift store. But it is always worth looking for exhibition catalogs, coffee-table books, and old museum-shop posters. If you do find a poster, check for a gallery or museum stamp on the back — that’s a good single that it might be more rare and hold value.
Surrealism’s just the start — paid subscribers get access to the other trends I’m hunting down this month.
