The City of Vintage Fashion is Barcelona

Known globally for its rich history and vibrant culture, Barcelona is now standing out in a new domain: vintage fashion. Vanesa Vélez, a pioneering trader born in Colombia in 1998, discusses how this trend is transforming the city’s fashion landscape and contributing to a global movement toward more conscious and sustainable consumption.

Driven by her passion for unique garments and the stories they carry, Vanesa began her journey in the world of vintage fashion. Her interest sparked from wearing clothes inherited from her brother and grandmother, which she would customize herself. This led her to discover a local second-hand store that sold high-quality items donated by affluent individuals. Quickly, Vanesa fell in love with the style, connecting it to the fashion of the 70s, 80s, and 90s she admired in her family’s photos.

Consequently, Barcelona was the city chosen by Vanesa. She was drawn not only to its vibrant youth and multiculturalism but also to the growing environmental awareness that rejects fast fashion in favor of more sustainable alternatives. According to Vanesa, the city provides a unique opportunity to nurture a vintage fashion business, thanks to its openness and acceptance of diverse identities and styles.

What is vintage clothing?

Vanesa defines vintage fashion as those garments that are over 20 years old, significantly distinguishing them from second-hand items which tend to have a more recent and brief use. Furthermore, the value of vintage transcends its mere age, residing in the history and unique character that each piece offers. This ‘vintage’ lifestyle encompasses not only clothing but also vehicles, furniture, and other decorative elements, thus providing a broader vision of what it means to adopt this approach in everyday life.

On the other hand, Vanesa’s operation, which involves importing containers of clothes from Asia (mainly from Thailand), requires meticulous logistics and critical discernment. The batches of clothing she receives are extensive and varied, which necessitates considerable effort to identify those garments that truly embody the essence of vintage and will meet the expectations of Barcelona’s consumers. This process not only ensures quality but also guarantees that each item retains the desired vintage character.

Challenges of Vintage Clothing

Before reaching the hands of consumers, each garment undergoes a rigorous cleaning and restoration process. This step is crucial to ensure that the final products are not only free from the typical defects associated with used clothing but are also high-quality items that reflect current trends and are appropriate for the corresponding season.

This meticulous care and dedication underline Vanesa’s commitment to vintage fashion and her desire to transform Barcelona into a role model in terms of sustainable and conscious fashion. With each garment sold, it promotes not just a style but also fosters a culture of more thoughtful and environmentally respectful consumption.

Vanesa Vélez journey in the world of vintage fashion is part of a passionate mission to infuse sustainability and exclusivity into fashion. Through her meticulous selection of vintage garments and her commitment to educating her customers about the importance of conscious consumption practices, Vanesa is not just selling fashion: she’s selling a lifestyle that honors the past while protecting our future. With each event, each sale, and each garment selected, she and her store are creating a new narrative for Barcelona.