Behind The Scenes of the Vogue Vintage Market

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Behind The Scenes of the Vogue Vintage Market"

Released on April 1, 2025

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Introduction

In this special vintage episode of The Run-Through with Vogue, hosts Chloe Mal and Irene Kim delve into the vibrant world of the Vogue Vintage Market. Joining them are esteemed Vogue editors Lila Ramsey and Margot Ambuba, who share their deep passion for vintage fashion, insider shopping tips, and memorable experiences from the recent Vogue Vintage Sale.

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Setting the Scene: Vogue Vintage Market

Irene Kim (01:58) opens the episode by introducing herself as she takes over from Nicole Phelps to provide a live report from the Vogue Vintage Market. Chloe Mal (01:52) complements her by highlighting Irene's role as Vogue's production and editorial associate.

Irene Kim (02:08) describes the market's electric atmosphere:

"It's actually only 45 minutes into the sale but this place is electric. The racks are almost empty and there's so many people." (02:08)

She notes the prominent attendees, including celebrities like Tory Burch, Willie Shahar, Phoebe Tonkin, and Gigi Hadid, emphasizing the event's high-profile nature.

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Highlights from the Vintage Sale

Chloe Mal (03:12) interacts with attendees, showcasing coveted items such as a Chanel necklace and a Cartier watch. She humorously recounts her desires versus what she could afford:

"I want to get a Cartier watch if it's under $200." (03:12)

Irene Kim (03:32) shares a recommendation from Mark Holgate about the standout piece of the market:

"The Balenciaga patchwork floral dress from Demna's very first Balenciaga collection... has collector status written all over it." (03:52)

Margot Ambuba (04:15) adds her excitement about the Balenciaga dress, noting its investment potential.

Irene Kim (10:03) recounts the VIP preview experience, detailing interactions with celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Cynthia Erivo:

"I was a little nervous that some of these individuals coming to the sale was just... to mingle and not necessarily shop. But that was the opposite of what happened." (10:03)

She shares engaging stories, including Anna negotiating for photos in exchange for purchases and Law Roach's strategic selling approach:

"Law... he was waiting till the bitter end because he knew we were going to discount things." (12:12)

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Personal Anecdotes and Shopping Experiences

Chloe Mal (08:02) transitions to personal stories, including attending her daughter Alice's fairy-themed birthday party, highlighting the balance between professional and personal life.

Irene Kim (13:04) recounts a memorable purchase:

"I plucked up a vintage Saint Laurent dress... but, honey, you have it on backwards." (13:04)

Her humorous mishap led to her acquiring the dress, illustrating the spontaneous nature of vintage shopping.

Margot Ambuba (14:28) discusses her shopping haul with multiple vintage bags, emphasizing her dedication to true vintage pieces:

"I went for more of the true vintage, which is very much like, my style." (14:28)

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Vintage Shopping Tips and Trends

Margot Ambuba (18:15) shares her strategies for online vintage shopping:

"I have a list on my phone of every single designer I have ever bought... plus vintage." (18:15)

She advises searching by specific designers and descriptive terms to uncover unique pieces, while Irene Kim (20:05) highlights the effectiveness of platforms like Etsy for vintage enthusiasts:

"You can even type in like Audrey Hepburn dress... that's how I found my wedding dress." (20:05)

Chloe Mal (21:08) reflects on the accessibility of vintage pieces, noting her own experiences with varying eras.

Margot Ambuba (22:10) discusses current vintage trends, particularly the resurgence of Betsy Johnson's milkmaid dresses and Miu Miu's bullet bras:

"Betsy Johnson's milkmaid dresses have become so popular... Bullet bras on the Miu Miu Runway." (22:10)

She anticipates a comeback for vintage-inspired undergarments, blending functionality with retro aesthetics.

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Personal Vintage Stories and Collections

Margot Ambuba (24:31) shares her first vintage purchase, a Lily Ann coat, highlighting her long-term commitment to vintage fashion:

"I bought this coat... I wore it for almost 30 years." (24:31)

Her passion for vintage undergarments is evident as she proudly mentions her collection:

"I probably own like 20 corsets, 10 bullet bras, a couple girdles." (30:21)

Irene Kim (30:56) reveals her obsession with vintage Gala dresses, specifically Pat Buckley's Met Gala pieces available on The RealReal:

"I purchased two of them... Drive these pieces are at the Met Gala... it's incredible." (30:19)

She highlights the importance of provenance in vintage fashion and her excitement for upcoming events:

"I'm going to the Frick's big reopening gala this evening... I have a vintage Oscar dress." (32:36)

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Final Thoughts and Farewell

As the conversation winds down, Chloe Mal (33:31) expresses enthusiasm for the shared experiences and looks forward to future vintage adventures with her colleagues:

"I can't wait to see pictures." (33:31)

The episode concludes with warm farewells, leaving listeners inspired to explore the rich and dynamic world of vintage fashion through Vogue's unique lens.

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Key Takeaways

• Insider Access: The Vogue Vintage Market attracts high-profile celebrities and fashion enthusiasts, creating a lively and competitive environment.

• Strategic Shopping: Leveraging online platforms like Etsy and The RealReal, combined with specific search strategies, can uncover unique vintage pieces.

• Vintage Trends: Current trends highlight a nostalgia-driven resurgence, with specific attention to iconic designer pieces and undergarments.

• Personal Passion: The hosts and guests emphasize the deep personal connections and stories behind their vintage collections, showcasing the timeless allure of vintage fashion.

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This episode offers a comprehensive glimpse into the excitement, strategies, and personal narratives that define the Vogue Vintage Market, making it a must-listen for vintage aficionados and fashion enthusiasts alike.

Transcript

[Chloe Mal]

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[Irene Kim]

Hi, my name is Irene Kim and today taking over for Nicole Phelps at the Vogue Vintage market.

[Chloe Mal]

Vogue's production and editorial associate Irene Kim went to the Vogue vintage sale over the weekend and gave us some live reporting on the scene.

[Irene Kim]

Okay, so we are on the first floor of the Vogue Vintage Market. It's actually only 45 minutes into the sale but this place is electric. The racks are almost empty and there's so many people.

[Chloe Mal]

Everyone who is it in New York City is here.

[Irene Kim]

Tory Burch, Willie Shahar, Phoebe Tonkin, Gigi.

[Chloe Mal]

Hadid, they're all here. The sale was bustling but luckily Irene was able to interrupt the shopping to share what it was like inside.

[Irene Kim]

I am here with Sally Singer and she is actually also has done many vintage sales before. What do you have today?

[Chloe Mal]

Okay, right now I have a Vuitton sample tweed jacket and then I have.

[Irene Kim]

Which I'm not going to be able.

[Chloe Mal]

To afford Lapo Elkin's father's jacket, made by a tailor in rome in the.

[Irene Kim]

1970S with buttons that are the mark.

[Chloe Mal]

Of a St. Moritz club, which, to me, is the most exciting piece here.

[Irene Kim]

Okay, so we're here with Millie Shavaria, the iconic New York designer. Are you buying anything today?

[Chloe Mal]

I mean, I'm trying to, but there's so many people here that I know and so many fabulous people that I want to know that I haven't quite made it to Iraq, but I did have my eye on a Chanel necklace over there that looks amazing that I want to add to my collection. And I also want to get a Cartier watch if it's under $200.

[Irene Kim]

Yeah, there was one for $205, which I do think it might still be over there.

[Chloe Mal]

I think that already got picked up by either Willow or Gigi Hadid. Maybe you can buy it off Gigi for three.

[Irene Kim]

Exactly.

[Chloe Mal]

She also heard from Mark Holgate about the item he thought was the best get at the entire market.

[Margot Ambuba]

The one thing that caught my eye.

[Chloe Mal]

And that I would buy if I.

[Irene Kim]

Was a shopper is the Balenciaga patchwork.

[Chloe Mal]

Floral dress from Demna's very first Balenciaga collection. That, to me, has collector status written all over it. And it is. It was priced at, I think, $550, which I know from looking at resale sites, some auction sites. That's a future investment.

[Irene Kim]

Thank you so much, Mark. Thank you, Irene.

[Margot Ambuba]

Thank you.

[Irene Kim]

Thank.

[Chloe Mal]

That was so fun. We'll be back in a moment. Working at Vanity Fair, our entire lives revolve around press screenings, premieres, film festivals, Q&As, set visits, award ceremonies. Not that we're complaining. It's pretty great. But you know that feeling when you see a new film or show and you want to talk about it with everyone immediately? We feel that all the time.

[Irene Kim]

Yes, we sure do.

[Chloe Mal]

I'm Richard Lawson.

[Irene Kim]

I'm David Canfield.

[Chloe Mal]

And I'm Rebecca Ford.

[Irene Kim]

On Little Gold Men, Vanity Fair's flagship entertainment podcast, we discuss today's most exciting films and TV shows.

[Chloe Mal]

David and I are fresh off attending the LA premiere last night.

[Irene Kim]

Break down the latest developments in the awards races.

[Chloe Mal]

Gomez and Grande split the pop girly.

[Irene Kim]

Vote and catch up with Hollywood's biggest movers and shakers. Demi Moore, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me.

[Chloe Mal]

Whether you're a casual viewer or an industry buff, this is the podcast for you. New episodes are published every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow and listen to little gold men, wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. Today, I am joined in the studio by two of my most beloved colleagues, who also happen to be two of the people who love vintage the most. Lila Ramsey, a fashion historian and Vogue editor, and Margot Ambuba, Vogue senior beauty and wellness editor and self proclaimed vintage aficionado. I'm proclaiming that. Welcome to you both.

[Irene Kim]

Hi Chloe. Hi, Margo.

[Margot Ambuba]

Thanks for having us. We're excited to talk all things vintage.

[Chloe Mal]

I do think of you two as like my two resident vintage ladies. A friend recently reached out because she was working on the costumes for the Safdie Brothers Marty supreme movie. And she was like, where do I go if I want to get actual vintage clothes from the 50s? And I was like, hold please. I'll ask the two experts at Vogue. And within minutes, there were like 40 suggestions from Margot and Lila.

[Irene Kim]

So the slack chain was popping.

[Chloe Mal]

Yes, Knowledge activated. Before we get into all things vintage, I want to hear about what you did this weekend, Lila, besides the vintage market, how did you decompress yesterday?

[Irene Kim]

I did absolutely nothing.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh good.

[Irene Kim]

I couldn't even be bothered to go on a walk in Central park with my husband. I said, no, I'm just laying horizontal all day. I really needed to recover. It was.

[Chloe Mal]

What did you watch?

[Irene Kim]

I watched. Oh, I watched Adolescence.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh God.

[Irene Kim]

That was very recover.

[Chloe Mal]

Are you out of your mind?

[Margot Ambuba]

Did you watch all of it?

[Irene Kim]

I did, yes. In one day. It was very dark.

[Chloe Mal]

Probably not just like, I'll be in the park.

[Irene Kim]

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, not much of a decompression. Maybe.

[Chloe Mal]

Margo, what did you do this weekend?

[Margot Ambuba]

Obviously attended the vintage sale. I started the book Stag Dance.

[Chloe Mal]

What is that?

[Margot Ambuba]

It is by the author of Detransition Baby. It's really interesting and good.

[Chloe Mal]

Did you watch White Lotus last night?

[Margot Ambuba]

I did watch White Lotus. I hate that it's at 9pm that is my.

[Chloe Mal]

I know. It's so tough.

[Margot Ambuba]

Very intense. Bedtime in my wellness regimen. I like am in bed by 8:45 with a book. Phone is bricked which is this new.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh my God. Tell me. Yes.

[Margot Ambuba]

Okay, so this is this device. I have mine stuck on my fridge. I learned about it from my co worker Laia. And basically what it is is you can choose for apps to be blocked and you touch. You have to physically touch your phone to it to lock and unlock it.

[Chloe Mal]

What?

[Margot Ambuba]

And my problem a lot of the time is I'll get into bed and I'll think of something and be like, oh, what happened in World War II during this thing. And then I will fall down a rabbit hole and read it for hours. And then I look up. It's like 2am and I'm upset with myself. So I ordered this brick. It's in my kitchen. And so I will physically lock myself out of everything except for, like, the news app and my texts.

[Chloe Mal]

Wow.

[Margot Ambuba]

Because neither of those are, like, so entertaining that they would keep me up at night.

[Chloe Mal]

What about Slack?

[Margot Ambuba]

Oh, it's bricked. Because I'm trying to.

[Chloe Mal]

No, no, that's great. I just feel like I can always reach you on Slack, so that's intriguing to me.

[Margot Ambuba]

I am really trying to create some boundaries for myself.

[Chloe Mal]

I mean, says the person who's, like, slacks me on a Sunday morning. Should we be doing this piece about blah, blah, blah? So it's going great.

[Margot Ambuba]

It's not bricked on Sunday morning. It's bricked at nighttime. You just won't hear from me at nighttime.

[Chloe Mal]

Now, I also. We had Alice's third birthday party yesterday, which I feel like I'm hungover just from, like, the sugar and mood swings of that. But she requested a fairy party, and my sister and niece made the most incredible fairy house cake that I was, like, completely awed by, but I ate a lot of it. And so now what flavor was it? It was just this delicious vanilla cake, but it had a layer of pink frosting in the middle with sprinkles in it that just added, like, a perfect crunch.

[Irene Kim]

Um, what did she wear?

[Chloe Mal]

Good question. She wore a cute little bonpoint dress that was a hand me down from Ricky de Soleil's daughter, Clara. And then immediately she changed into the Rapunzel costume that my mother gave her. That is extremely ugly and extremely polyester. And we all wore fairy wings. That's so sweet. Now, speaking of what we wore, I want to go back to the vintage market. Lila set the scene. What time did you arrive on Saturday morning? What. What was the setup?

[Irene Kim]

I arrived at 9am which was two hours before the sale opened to the public, but one hour before it opened to our VIP guests, which you were both a part of and on the list. The scene was. It was beautiful. Everyone was shopping. I was a little nervous that at the VIP preview because it was, you know, a breakfast event. Coffee was being served. Gigi Hadid was the host alongside Emma Chamberlain and a few other notables who showed up. I was a little nervous that some of these individuals coming to the sale was just. Were just there to, you know, mingle and not necessarily shop. But that was the opposite of what happened. We had major sales.

[Margot Ambuba]

I got one.

[Irene Kim]

No, you did.

[Chloe Mal]

The sign of a true success.

[Margot Ambuba]

I know.

[Irene Kim]

Yeah.

[Margot Ambuba]

People were really shopping.

[Irene Kim]

Really, really shopping. And our editor in chief was amazing. She had donated some things anonymously. All of the pieces with. All of the pieces she had donated had hang tags that said anonymous. So she did not want to be known that they were hers. However.

[Chloe Mal]

But then people started trying them on.

[Irene Kim]

However, she was walking around telling people, that's my jacket. You need to buy it. And my favorite story is that she was approached by an individual who had several things draped over her arm and was very excited to see Anna. Meet Anna and said, anna, could I have a photo with you? And Anna responded, only if you buy all those things. So Anna was making sales. We were all hustling. Gigi Hadid bought actually several of Anna's things. Cynthia Erivo arrived and she had a major shopping spree. Also purchased several of Anna's things. Gigi Hadid got some things that a few of the staffers had our eye on. But we were happy to let it go for Gigi.

[Chloe Mal]

Okay, give an example.

[Irene Kim]

There was this Balenciaga tote that Iggy was very calling dibs on. Had called dibs on it weeks before the sale. And then Gigi showed up and we were all happy to let Gigi have it.

[Margot Ambuba]

Oh, Iggy's nicer than me. I would have been like, I'll fight you for it.

[Irene Kim]

And what else?

[Chloe Mal]

Irene Kim did see someone on staff fighting with Law Roach over a code.

[Irene Kim]

Law was there, and this was not the beginning of the sale, but by the end of the sale, Law, he knows what he's doing.

[Margot Ambuba]

He.

[Irene Kim]

This is not his first rodeo. He's been to many vintage sales. He knows that.

[Chloe Mal]

Didn't he own a vintage clothing store? Yes.

[Margot Ambuba]

In Chicago for years. Yeah. That was really how he, like, got started.

[Irene Kim]

Fascinating. Well, that explains a lot. He had a selection of 20 pieces, probably the most expensive pieces in the store, in the market. And he was waiting till the bitter end because he knew we were going to discount things. This was a one day sale. Everything was for charity. Everything had to go. And he was hanging on till, I think he checked out five minutes after the sale closed.

[Chloe Mal]

Wow.

[Irene Kim]

Yes. And did everything go? Most everything went. A few pieces did not go. And all of those will be donated to charity.

[Chloe Mal]

Wow. I want to know what you bought, Lila.

[Irene Kim]

I also waited till the bitter end. And my purchases also involve Law. He was pulling a lot of things for Zendaya, which was very exciting to see. There was this one vintage Saint Laurent dress that had been donated by Amy Griffin. It was this beautiful emerald satin, emerald green satin dress. Like a midi dress. And he put it back, and then as soon as he put it back on the rack, I plucked it up. And he walked over to me, and he was like, yeah, I decided against it, but it has to go to the right person, and that right person is you. Oh, my God. And then he demanded I try it on. So I go upstairs, I wait in line, I try on the dress in this, In. In the dressing room. Because it's a Saint Laurent couture dress. It's incredibly made. The construction was impeccable. There are no zippers, but there are a series of, like, snap closures all over the dress.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh, my God.

[Irene Kim]

I come downstairs, and he's like, oh, my God, it's gorgeous. But, honey, you have it on backwards. So I embarrassed myself in front of law. I should have known better, but. And because of that, I just had to buy the dress because I was so embarrassed. But no, I came. I came away with that. And actually, another. Another Amy Griffin Saint Laurent Couture. She was really incredibly generous with her donations. She had some amazing pieces that she donated to the sale.

[Chloe Mal]

Wow. Margo, what did you buy? I saw a picture of you with a lot of shopping bags.

[Margot Ambuba]

Okay. Kya snapped a picture of me walking out. And I was so horrified by it because I have, like, four shopping bags in this. I went for more of the, like, true vintage, which is very much like, my style. I really love.

[Chloe Mal]

What does that mean?

[Margot Ambuba]

So there's sort of like, two camps of the vintage world right now, and Lila wrote this great story actually about it for us. True vintage is stuff.

[Chloe Mal]

What was the story you wrote?

[Irene Kim]

When does fashion become vintage? I believe that was the headline.

[Margot Ambuba]

Okay. And basically, true vintage is stuff that is definitely older than 20 years. I have very specific interests when it comes to vintage. I like true vintage. I like stuff from the 40s to the mid-70s. The moment that I get, like, a whiff of the 80s, I start to appreciate it from afar. It's not for me. And so everything that I got was from the 50s and 60s. I actually picked up a lot of things that the Bloomingdale family donated.

[Irene Kim]

Amazing. Yes.

[Chloe Mal]

Did Hayley donate?

[Irene Kim]

No, it was Natalie, my friend Natalie, who is the biggest 1960s girl, and she has the most insane collection. And she so kindly sent a lot of pieces. And when she was asking me what to send, she was like, oh, I don't think I should send some of this, like, the older vintage. I said, no, please send it, because a lot of people are sending archival pieces. 80s, 90s. We need the 60s.

[Chloe Mal]

So are either of you wearing vintage today?

[Irene Kim]

Yes, I suspect both we are. Margo, you go first.

[Margot Ambuba]

Okay.

[Irene Kim]

Very different vibes. Yeah.

[Margot Ambuba]

Yeah, totally. I feel like this sums us up so well, though. I like to call this my 60s flight attendant outfit. Like, it sort of feels like what flight? Like on a groovy plane. I feel like it's sort of like when Courjas did the flight attendant outfits for Air France.

[Chloe Mal]

More with Lila and Margot after the break. I'm Jamilah Robinson, host of Food People. On Food People, we talk about how food and drink shape our society. I talked to the luminaries making big moves in the culinary industry, from chefs and entrepreneurs to celebrities and even activists.

[Irene Kim]

The combination between a school and a restaurant.

[Chloe Mal]

The next generation of Ethiopian chefs. A lot more than food goes on in a kitchen. It's where you have your loudest arguments. It's often where you have your loudest laughter. I'm Italian, Mexican. I'm a comedian. There's gonna be lots of opinions. So if you wanna go deep on how food creates the world we live in, join me on Food People. Food People is available on the podcast app of your choice. Well, I'm very excited. I thought the vintage market was a huge success. It also benefited from that inevitable day in late March, early April, where it's like the first nice day in New York City and everyone goes out. The line was from almost Canal street all the way around grand street to get into the market across the street. There were a few PETA protesters, a friend who came text me after and said, line around the block. PETA protesters who says New York is dead. It felt like a very robust New York experience. I want to know. Margot orchestrated a fantastic article about how to shop ebay. And there's also a lot of other ways to shop. Vintage online, Etsy, etc. What are your number one? Like, if you say to me, who is always daunted, I only buy like, children's toys on ebay. What. How do I go about finding? I don't even know what I'm looking for.

[Margot Ambuba]

So I think that we have probably two very different approaches. I am more of a vibes based shopper. Like, I know eras. I like, I have a list on my phone of every single designer I have ever bought so that I know. Okay, like, maybe I want a dress from the 50s. I should search Suzy Perrette or I should Search lily diamond or I, you know, like people like that. But then at the bottom of the list are just words that I've been really successful with searching in the past plus vintage. So it could be puff sleeve vintage, it could be drop waist vintage, it could be micro pleat vintage. And so I sort of have two different approaches and then I just see what comes up and I actually learned something from Lila which is search by most recently listed once you get the better things. Because I was sort of seeing the same stuff over and over while I was on the hunt for. I'm looking for my Met ensemble of outfits, something to wear the night of and something to wear to the pre party and I have a very specific combination of things that I want and so what is it? I would in an ideal world wear black designers vintage black designers to everything.

[Irene Kim]

Patrick Kelly. There's several pieces on the realreal so.

[Margot Ambuba]

I love Patrick kelly. It is 80s so it's like not.

[Chloe Mal]

So you're just opposed to 80s.

[Margot Ambuba]

I don't. It doesn't look good on me. The shapes don't really work for my body. I have a very. You do have sort of a 40 mad men body.

[Chloe Mal]

Yeah.

[Margot Ambuba]

Is how I would describe it. Like I'm on the curves side of thing and I think that 80s was more about a little bit of a straighter figure and slimmer figure while I'm more of a like I love a girdle and stuff. I like, I like to get a nice good shape going.

[Chloe Mal]

Lila, what's your approach when you're searching for something?

[Irene Kim]

So I. We actually have pretty similar approaches. I'm also searching by vibes. I love Etsy. Etsy was where I first discovered vintage and that will still be the place that I go to first when I'm shopping for vintage. And I'm also. I love that there's a vintage filter. So on ebay perhaps there is a vintage filter on ebay, but I'm less familiar with that. The one on. On Etsy is. Is pretty, pretty great. And you can search as you were talking about Margot by vibe. So you can even type in like Audrey Hepburn dress. And I think, I think what sets. That's how I found my wedding dress. So I think the Etsy sellers are really great about also like I don't know in there like the metadata of their listing tagging all these different vibes because you could, you could search like Jackie Kennedy style, Grace Kelly style. I mean all those are pretty similar and products will come up and that's what I love. I Love about vintage on Etsy, but I will also search specific designers. Lately it's been a lot of Victor Costa. I wore a fur Victor Costa to the Vienna Opera Ball.

[Margot Ambuba]

You looked incredible.

[Chloe Mal]

That was amazing.

[Irene Kim]

Oh, thank you. And like, these are steals. I think. I think the thing. I think the thing that's great about our vintage shopping styles is that we're not looking for like 2004 Dior, and therefore there are less people who are interested in what we're interested in. And we don't really have to spend as much as some of the other vintage obsessed people.

[Margot Ambuba]

Though I have to say, my, like, hot tip is if you are interested in those sorts of things going to the city from which they come from, best place to find it. When I was in Milan for fashion week, the amount of vintage Prada that was available for so cheap compared to what I see on the realreal was incredible.

[Chloe Mal]

Yeah.

[Margot Ambuba]

It was getting to the point where I was like, this is too much. I'm buying too much Prada.

[Irene Kim]

No such thing.

[Margot Ambuba]

I don't. Yeah, sorry, Mrs. Prada.

[Chloe Mal]

Well, but speaking of that, of sort of you guys not searching exactly what's on trend. So there's more available to you guys. What are the biggest vintage trends that you're seeing? People looking for, wearing, searching.

[Margot Ambuba]

I. I feel like there's two very different places. There are the red carpet trends that we're seeing. Which red carpet dressing has become really fueled, I think by a lot of nostalgia vintage pieces. These are the McQueen pieces that everyone gasped when they saw in 2002. And then now Katy Perry's wearing it. Something like that. And then there are like, what. What the world is doing. Like, I'm seeing Betsy. Interest in Betsy Johnson is huge right now. It's really interesting. People are really into the milk og. Milkmaid dresses. You have any at your house?

[Chloe Mal]

No.

[Margot Ambuba]

Oh, darn. You seem like you were a Betsy Johnson girl.

[Chloe Mal]

I wasn't actually, but I. I respect her.

[Margot Ambuba]

Her Milkmane dresses have become so popular and they are so expensive now because of it. Like, I think they were probably $200 when they sold. They're going for like five or six hundred dollars.

[Irene Kim]

Yeah, it's amazing.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh, my God. I still remember her storefront on Madison Avenue when I was in high school. And like every time I'd walk by, I'd be like, wow, this is. This is a whole vibe.

[Margot Ambuba]

I remember when my dad took me.

[Chloe Mal]

Now it's love shack, fancy, which is vibes.

[Margot Ambuba]

I spiritually like a dedication to a moment. The same.

[Chloe Mal]

Exactly.

[Margot Ambuba]

I Remember, like, my dad taking me to the Galleria in Dallas and shopping Betsy Johnson. And I convinced him to get me this, like, really pretty pink patterned dress because he didn't realize there were skulls hidden inside of it and thinking it was, like, such a steal that I got away with it. And then he realized, like, two months later when I wore it, and he was devastated that he bought his, like, 13 year old daughter a skull dress that he thought just had, like, nice little pink birds.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh, my God.

[Irene Kim]

That's amazing.

[Margot Ambuba]

We also just saw. I mean, I don't know if this will really become a trend. I'm excited about it. Bullet bras on the Miu Miu Runway. I love vintage underpinnings, and so I'm hoping that it makes a comeback. I think, like, the shape is really fun, but also a lot of clothing that was made to have. It was made with the vintage bra shape, the vintage underwear shape in mind. And so it, like, looks kind of weird when you're wearing a modern, like, globe Victoria's Secret boob bra.

[Chloe Mal]

Margo, you've been wearing vintage since you were 15, so maybe that's why it doesn't bother you.

[Margot Ambuba]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mal]

What was your first. What was your vintage gateway drug?

[Margot Ambuba]

There was this store in Fort Worth called Bess and Evie's that my mom took me to. And I remember this is so embarrassing. We had a Hummer, and we filled the Hummer up with vintage clothing the first time we went.

[Chloe Mal]

But the gasping, but you can't hear it.

[Margot Ambuba]

Yeah, it's very Texas.

[Irene Kim]

It was. No, it was a moment in time. Yeah, there were Hummers.

[Chloe Mal]

I guess there were in L. A. Yeah.

[Margot Ambuba]

Yeah. Very Arab and very Texan. To have a Hummer, like, it was the intersection of both my cultures coming together in one vehicle. And I totally, unbeknownst to me about this Lily Ann coat, which Lily and love Lillian.

[Chloe Mal]

I don't know what that means.

[Margot Ambuba]

She is sort of just a cult vintage designer that made beautiful suits, beautiful jackets, like, very specific pieces that people want. Mostly her coats and, like, outerwear, what people really love. She does incredible swing coats, which are amazing, like, for people who are looking to wear vintage when they're pregnant and things like that. They're so transitional through life, so they're great investment pieces. And I bought this code. I had no idea who Lillian was. I just, like, really liked the tag. I love looking at tags. I'll buy things sometimes just because, like, the tag has a cool vibe. And that was my first piece, and I wore it until literally the elbows Are threadbare. I still have it and like there are giant chunks of it essentially missing because it got like so beat up. But I wore it for almost 30 years. I mean 15 years. I'm 30, I'm in my 30s. I don't know how to do math.

[Chloe Mal]

Wow. Margo is in fact 72.

[Margot Ambuba]

I'm a beauty editor, not a math editor.

[Chloe Mal]

Oh my God. Lila, how about you?

[Irene Kim]

I came onto vintage a little later than Margot. I think I was in my. My very, very late teens, maybe early 20s, and I fell really hard for vintage. And this was also around the time that Mad Men was out. And I, I almost committed to a fully. I know I always say, like Betty Draper, 1950s. I have to acknowledge that the show did start, I think in the year 1960s. So it's inaccurate when people talk about like the 50s fashion on, um, so keep that in mind. But I, I went really hard on dressing head to toe vintage from 50s era. Anything like new look, which included girdle. I remember one year I came home for Christmas and I had a girdle on and I could not eat my Christmas dinner. I had to go upstairs, take the girdle off, come back downstairs so I could like properly finish my meal. But that, that was a short lived phase because I realized how impractical it was. Guys, I'm talking garter belts and everything. I was insane.

[Margot Ambuba]

I like love that.

[Irene Kim]

Yes. I have, I have the photos. I have many memories of walking down the street in my 1950s shoes, which would just disintegrate beneath my feet because they're, you know, vintage shoes, which I also.

[Margot Ambuba]

So you wear shoes but not underwear?

[Irene Kim]

Well, I think the shoes I was buying were also dead stock. Like you can tell if a shoe's been like worn. But so I sort of realized that it was like a full time commitment and I didn't have, you know, the Dita Von Teese reason to be dressing so historically accurate in a particular era or the lifestyle, frankly. I was walking around like school at nyu wearing all these ridiculous things. But it was a moment of my life that I cherish and I still have a lot of those pieces. And then I just sort of widened my scope of like what sorts of vintage I was interested in. But I also try not to be too. I don't want to bounce around too much because I like to have a particular like, look and style. So I can't. I tend to stick in two general areas, which is like 50s, 40s into 50s and then like subtle 80s, because the 80s also did have a big sort of nostalgic moment where they were referencing the 40s and the 50s. So most of the 80s pieces I am wearing are what we would call in the vintage world as like 80s says the 50s or 80s as the 40s. That's another like search term I can use because there are much, there is much more inventory on like say an Etsy of 80s does the 50s than there is of like pure 1950s because it's more recent and there's more merchandise.

[Chloe Mal]

Well, not that anyone asked me, but I have very specific memories. I wore a lot of vintage in high school and college and then I became too lazy. But I do still love vintage. But I used to go, I grew up in LA and I used to go down to a store called Iguana Vintage that was on Ventura Boulevard. I think it's still there. And I got such ugly things and they are no longer with me. But I still remember. I think one of the first things I got were a pair of suede bright orange cowboy boots that I wore so much. And I have no idea where they are, but thank God, I think they probably stayed in my college town, gave to their future a future poorly dressed collegiate individual.

[Margot Ambuba]

Has your mom saved a lot of her clothing?

[Chloe Mal]

Well, sensitive subject because it was all in la, but so a lot of that is now burned. But she did have great, some great awards show dresses. Although I did recently find one amazing dress she wore in the early 2000s that was a Versace shell and skir, that sort of ice blue with beading. Anyway, we just had our beloved legendary Lynn Yeager on the pod last week and she talked about her 20 plus year obsession with vintage baby lockets. What is your freaky vintage obsession?

[Margot Ambuba]

I guess underwear probably.

[Chloe Mal]

Because everyone seems to think that's freaky, but so freaky.

[Margot Ambuba]

Um, I probably own like 20 corsets, 10 bullet bras, a couple girdles. I like, love it. I love to feel held in. Like, I like to feel. It's like hugging you. I think it's nice. Feeling does not stop me from eating ever. I'm like, I'll push through the boning, I don't care. So maybe that's it. Everything else. I, I mean, I'm not sure if I'm the person to be like, I think this thing I collect is weird.

[Irene Kim]

Okay, so I've been really into. I'm convinced that Pat Buckley's heir is selling off all her pieces on the realreal because I purchased two of them. I purchased a Bill Blass dress that she wore to the Met Gala, I think, in 1986. And then I saw another dress that she wore that was just a little too big for me, so I passed on it. But another Met Gala dress. And if you just go into Getty Images and type in Pat Buckley, for those of you who don't know, she was a socialite in the 1980s, 1990s, and was very heavily involved in the Met Gala. She was the co chair for many.

[Chloe Mal]

Many years I have ever heard.

[Irene Kim]

I just love that these pieces were at the Met Gala. And it's. It's incredible. I mean, she was. She was a legend. She was a very, you know, important person.

[Chloe Mal]

Right. Of William F. Buckley.

[Irene Kim]

Yes, correct. And was just very involved in, like, this New York scene that I think I'm, you know, sort of interested in. And I just can't believe that these pieces are on the RealReal for nothing. I don't think people are aware of the provenance. And of course, the RealReal mostly lists things anonymously, so you don't know who you're buying unless you happen to have a photographic knowledge of all her pieces that she wore to the Met Gala and just you bind them on the RealReal. So I've been in that sort of phase at the moment. What else am I buying? Yeah, lots of gowns. I find myself sort of without the things I need for an everyday life. But ask me to go to a gala and, like, I'm ready. And like, I have, like.

[Chloe Mal]

Fortunately, Lila edits all of our parties and is our swan on. On the circuit. Circuit swan. So you have more need for those.

[Irene Kim]

Yeah, that is true. Yeah. So it's not. It's not pure, pure frivolity. But I do have a gala tonight. I'm going to the Frick. The Frick's big reopening gala this evening. And I.

[Chloe Mal]

That's so exciting.

[Irene Kim]

Have a dress. It's actually coming today. I hope it fits. It's a vintage Oscar dress. And back to what you were saying, Margot, about, like, buying Prada in Milan. I think the RealReal is the best place to buy vintage Oscar. Oh. I. I'm friendly with the current Oscar rental designers and they're like, where are you getting all of these things? And I. They're shocked to know, firstly, that I'm buying them on the RealReal. And secondly, they're shocked to know when I tell them how much I'm buying them for.

[Margot Ambuba]

Should we be cutting this out to keep it between us girls?

[Chloe Mal]

I think we're okay.

[Irene Kim]

I don't get Keith. But so, yeah, I have a vintage Oscar dress. I think it's probably from the 90s that I'm wearing. And I'm so excited. I hope. God, I hope it fits. But yeah, we'll find out soon when I go home and zip her up.

[Margot Ambuba]

I'm sure we'll look fabulous. I can't wait to see pictures.

[Chloe Mal]

All right, well, we're zipping up this conversation. Thank you, ladies.

[Margot Ambuba]

Thank you.

[Irene Kim]

Thank you. Always fun chatting. Vintage.

[Chloe Mal]

That's it for the run through. See you Thursday. The run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Joanna Solotarov. It's engineered by Jake Loomis and James Yost. It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of global audio. Hi, it's Cho Minardi. If you're not on the Vogue app yet, what the hell are you doing? You can follow along with me and other editors as we talk about everything happening in fashion. Think you're already a fashion expert? Well, find out how your Runway IQ stacks up against the Vogue community with an all new Runway genius leaderboard. So download the Vogue app today and you'll never miss a moment. From PRX.