KOIBIRD goes vintage
KOIBIRD is proud to launch its first vintage designer collection.
Never one to do things by halves, the launch of KOIBIRD’s vintage collection will also see the reveal of a new permanent arm of their website to house this distinctive capsule. Each and every item has been hand-selected by founder Belma Gaudio and her team over the past year. We interviewed Belma to find out more about the exclusive collection and her journey to launch it.
What inspired you to launch KOIBIRD’s vintage collection?
KOIBIRD has been thinking about vintage for some time now and it has taken us a while to put together this selection. Our ethos is finding and sourcing the unique things you can’t get anywhere else and the perfect way to do that and have a truly one-of-a-kind piece is offering a great vintage selection. We have put a great selection of top designers, in a very KOIBIRD way, so expect to see a lot of colour, print and just general quirkiness.
What can we expect to see in-store, and are there any key pieces to look out for?
We have some seriously rare Jean Paul Gaultier mesh pieces that have inspired all the latest trends, and these originals are the real deal. We have a Chanel aeroplane print set that is very covetable, some great Versace and Leonard prints as well as a selection of very sweet vintage cardigans. My favourite is a John Galliano Motor Sport print dress and a great tennis print set from Escada, perfect for Wimbledon!
When did you discover your love for vintage and why?
I have always loved and shopped vintage since I was a teen. First, hunting on Melrose place in LA during my university time there, and then eventually moving to more designer vintage. Initially the love of vintage came from scoring that amazing find, at an affordable price, and getting something unique, amazing, hard to find, which is really the ultimate luxury for me. Sourcing, owning, and wearing something that no one else will have. In this day, an age where everything is accessible and available, vintage remains the true gem that should always have a place in our wardrobes. It is worth the investment and in many ways it's more special than the current designer seasons. You can have Balenciaga, but that cool deconstructed biker that Ghesquiere did, it’s like owning a moment in fashion, a moment when you were doing XYZ in your 20s and that piece will always remind you of that. And it's half the price of a current, not so interesting Balenciaga, as the current everyone has! I’m just picturing Emily Blunt in Devil wears Prada going, “oh, this is a ’99 Mcqueen, the Givenchy years…” And just like that, you are the cool kid.
Since launching KOIBIRD, what has been your biggest career highlight to date?
I love seeing great women find their sense of style at KOIBIRD. That confidence that I get from wearing something unique and great, and really owning it, I want that for everyone, as everyone can achieve that. I get so much pleasure out of people excitedly telling me that they bought something at KOIBIRD, and all their friends loved it and asked where it was from. It’s really rewarding to offer the kind of fashion to our customers that will give them that spring in their step, the excitement, the pride of looking and feeling like they are on top of their game. It also was nice when Rihanna shopped with us!
How many pieces have you curated for the collection?
We have 163 vintage pieces launching in May.
What is your vision for the future of KOIBIRD?
At KOIBIRD we want to champion the unexpected. We want to promote boldness, fun and confidence and that’s what fashion has always been about to me. The business has goals of promoting and selling our very strong point of view globally, and we are just getting started. In a world with so much availability, excess, and attention deficit, we want to slow down, focus on the beautiful things that fashion has to offer, and the way that fashion should make us feel curated, special, and unique.
