Interview with Amarcord Vintage

When you think about vintage clothing and its relation to street fashion, hundreds of visions may come to mind depending on who you ask and where you are. From pinups to modern designer's inspirations, costumes to one-of-a-kind chic, the petticoats of Haraajuku to motorcycle boots in London, vintage inspires many styles. Thrift stores, flea markets, online collectives, consignment shops and carefully curated stores all colorfully house the vast category of vintage. Within this spread, each shop uniquely serves its own array of customers for their own personal style, yet some shops extend beyond the boundaries of categories or vintage into timeless style for all.

In New York City, one can really get away with wearing anything, especially when it comes to street style. The bolder the statement and more original the piece, the more fashionable the look. Whether you are mixing in vintage pieces or going all out head to toe, shopping in Soho or walking the red carpet. It would seem that vintage is in now more than ever, however, this diversity in fashion is not always found everywhere. I am reminded of this when I travel home or abroad. For some, vintage may inspire, but remains only that.

Since first moving to New York in 2006, one store has been a constant inspiration to me and even tempted me to move out to Brooklyn for its location in Williamsburg. I had the opportunity to interview one of the owners of Amarcord Vintage Fashion in their Soho location, Marco Liotta.

Amarcord was founded in 2000 by a husband and wife team drawn together by vintage fashion, Patti Bordoni and Marco Liotta. Together, they travel the world searching for the special, hand-picked pieces that make Amarcord the treasure trove of designer and quality vintage pieces that it is.

Upon visiting one of their stores or website, one could easily see the careful attention to detail and presentation that makes their stores so special, but I was curious to know more about the story behind the beautiful front window. It was pouring rain and I ducked into a small coffee shop near the store to catch my breath from running out of the subway and calm my nerves. Behind the camera lens I can be anyone, but I am actually quite shy in person. Marco, being either the Italian that he was born as or the New Yorker that we all become, was ordering his coffee as he spotted me with my 1960s bouffant, on his way to open the shop. Nerves or fears out the window, the owners of Amarcord are warm and generous people that make the store so much more special than it could be on its own. A shop filled with Dior, Missoni and Yohji Yamamoto could tend to feel pretentious in a hurry, but with the care and interest in each customer shown by the owners and the staff upon every visit, it always feels like home, or more your own private stylist for an extravagant shopping experience, ok... something in the mix of the two.

Politics, fashion and culture, they are forever intertwined. New York experiences a fresh freedom when it comes to wearing vintage, but as Marco explained to me, Europe and the long formed traditions of fashion there do not always share our uninhibited expressions. Much like the rebellious nature in which America and its culture was born, wearing vintage can be quite radical on the streets across the pond. There is a pressure underlying the surface of virtual expectancy to fit the standard of being "well dressed". While one can walk the streets in Italy and find well made, immaculately tailored garments, the very cradle of designers, one is conformed to stay within these clearly outlined boundaries, leaving little room for vintage. One thing that I have learned from being both the American tourist and contrastingly an included member of family in Japan is that what one perceives about a culture is often only what that culture chooses to project and allows to be seen or allowed to be accepted for the outsider. One can rarely understand the true mechanics and habits of a culture until they are a deep part of its existence. So while we see cool snaps of fashion week street wear and celebrity events, it is not always the best picture of what a culture may represent in day to day happenings. It was the passion for freedom in fashion and the love of vintage that brought Marco to New York and to bring us all Amarcord.

It is here at Amarcord where you will find a vintage that feels so seamlessly modern. Each piece presented in the store is carefully selected for the season and the trends as if they walked off the runway today. From the 40s to the 90s, designer to handmade, you can find the right piece to start your interest in vintage or complete a look for a seasoned vintage hoarder such as myself. One of my favorite parts of shopping at Amarcord is the ease of organization that makes browsing so comfortable and enjoyable. I always have to pop in when Im in the neighborhood, just to see whats new as it is updated constantly.

What does one think of when visualizing street fashion and vintage in relation to Amarcord Vintage? Its the freedom of self expression realized through the perfect vintage piece for each individual to be found.

I think this story relates to so many of us that find our selves living in the Big Apple.



Another great thing about Amarcord is its range of men's fashion. Very few shops stock men's clothing, even those that aren't vintage. Almost of third of the store is dedicated to men's clothing and accessories, and sorry guys, I often raid the men's wear finding the perfect piece for myself too.

I had a lot of fun trying on pieces while visiting the store for the interview (coat from Armani).

As if having some of the best designers and men's wear wasn't enough, Amarcord as I have mentioned before is my favorite place to find jewelry. The jewelry is selected by Patti Bordoni and has become one of my favorite temptations the city has to offer.

I had to ask one cheesy interview question that we all ask and answer, but I was really curious to know: "What is your favorite vintage era and why?" I had expected the 60s to be the answer since the decor of Amarcord is very 1960s Italian inspired. Marco said that it was the 20s. Amarcord actually houses a large selection of 1920s fashion, but due to its delicate nature, is not always on the floor (If you are looking for something specific that you do not see, the showroom houses over 50,000 pieces). He likes the strong spirit of the people of the 20s and the beautiful details, the strait lines and shapes of the 20s, the novelty at the time. It is after all, the first time we saw a freedom in fashion being worn so lively and celebratory.