For starters, there’s Beacon’s Closet, a chain of shops that operates under a buy/sell/barter system and enjoys a good reputation among the cool crew of this megalopolis. Upon entering one of their bou- tiques, you will be awaited by rows of shelves fea- turing a selection of garments that are “like new”, so if you have the time, hunt down some reasona- bly priced must-have in excellent condition. The Buf- falo Exchange is similar - and is also reminiscent of the ‘commission shops’ that were popular in the for- mer Yugoslavia during the ‘80s. You can bring along everything you no longer want to wear (or that you never even wore in the first place, because it was an impulsive purchase) and receive an on-the-spot price estimate and payment – after which you can decide whether you want to spend the money on this shop’s eclectic mix or move on. However, it has such a se- lection that you won’t be able to resist temptation. For a slightly more select offer, head to one (or all) of the Awoke Vintage boutiques in Brooklyn’s bohe- mian neighbourhood of Williamsburg. Each piece is picked in accordance with the aesthetics of the owner, while sales exhibitions of prominent artists and rele- vant local entrepreneurs are regularly organised here. No less impressive is L Train Vintage, a classically cool and traditionally affordable thrift shop. A family busi- ness, its buyers travel around the U.S. in search of the best vintage hauls, which will later stock their shop.
And to conclude this mini virtual shopping tour - a shop without which it would be impossible to de- scribe the New York passion for second-hand clothing: Tokio 7. Established in the mid ‘90s, its name stems from that fact that its owner originally comes from Tokyo. Back then, it brought an aura of sophistication to the musty streets of the East Village, with its excel- lent selection of Japanese indie fashion brands that were hitherto completely unknown, even among the most knowledgeable of New Yorkers. This shop that was special in every way spent decades balancing the global paradigm of luxury and the specificities of the local design scene. As a result, the collection that you would encounter with every visit would range from haute couture to funky aesthetics. We are using the past tense because Tokio 7 (like many other small businesses hit by the COVID-19 pan- demic) was forced to close its doors and switch to on- line sales. However, true fans are hoping that the sit- uation won’t stay this way for long and that they’ll soon be able to, once again, seek untold fashion dreams among the hangers of their favourite shop. And that feeling you get when you hunt down something truly unusual for an unbelievably low price is what makes vintage a concept that has made itself right at home in our style lexicon and in the wardrobes of the bravest fashion adventurers among us. Regardless of wheth- er we’re in New York or Belgrade.
Pronaći fantastičan komad među rafovima odbačenih odevnih predmeta uvek je bio podvig herojske modne kategorije Discovering a fantastic item among the shelves of discarded garments has always been an exploit of the heroic category of fashion
54 | Njujork » New York
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