History on a hemline

Some style-seekers want more than vintage. They now track down once-iconic looks for rare archival gems

- Noor Anand Chawla

It's like a treasure hunt, but for designer gear. Stylish folks in the know are currently obsessing over archive fashion designer clothes, shows and accessories that hold some kind of historic value or carry a compelling story. Lily-Rose Depp's army of stylists have turned her out in outfits made famous by Naomi Campbell in the 1990s. Kanye West was inspired by vintage Raf Simons for his Yeezy designs. Model Kaia Gerber has shown up in runway blockbusters that are often three decades old (It helps that her mother is supermodel Cindy Crawford).

It's goes beyond vintage. Archive items are more difficult to track down and source. An authentic archival piece must be original, in relatively good condition, and be special to the wearer in some way.

Designers and pre-loved fashion store owners offer advice on tracking, stocking investing and acing the game.

● Find a focus. Pick an era and style, and educate yourself on the fashion pieces and designers that were most trendy then. These could belong to a specific year or collection or be related to pop culture in some way (as with concert T-shirts). Then begin your search for those items. Old magazines, YouTube clips of runway shows from years past, books and blog posts that describe a designer's evolution, or simply comparing 'it' bags over the decades are good starting points.