'I TREAT THESE CLOTHES AS MUSEUM PIECES, THEY'RE ART TO ME'

ARCHIVIST IRENE ALBRIGHT WELCOMES US TO THE LIBRARY WHERE FASHIONISTAS FLOCK FOR FROCKS AND ACCESSORIES

- HARRIET WHEELER

Tucked away in Los Angeles is Hollywood's most exclusive fashion haven, where showstopping red carpet gowns and the most sought-after designer pieces live.

Inside a 7,000 sq ft Beverly Hills mansion, which boasts one of the most incredible views of LA, you'll find the Albright Fashion Library. Each room is filled with rails of vintage suits and dresses - even the master ensuite, which is put to good use displaying Manolo Blahnik heels and designer handbags.

The appointment-only archive has top stylists and A-list celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez all wanting to get their hands on the one-of-a-kind pieces. 

We spoke to stylist and editor Irene Albright, who set up the showroom in 1990 and has since collected more than 60,000 designer pieces, including vintage Galliano, Saint Laurent and Versace.

Here, she tells us what it was like working with Nicolas Cage, why she was smitten by Meryl Streep and whether she's dressing any big names for this year's Oscars...

Tell us more about the Albright Fashion Library...

I started it in the 90s. I created a safe haven for stylists to pull fabulous clothes for their photoshoots. I created it because, as a stylist and an editor, I would find myself looking for the most incredible things, but those things weren't available. They were designed the year before but not again the next year. So in order for me to do a great job, I would keep everything after a shoot. If there was something I got and didn't use, I found myself buying it and becoming a collector. That collection became an archive and a business.

Who comes to the archive?