The 10 best Italian vintage brands to hunt on Vinted There’s quite a bit of sifting to do, but the deals are golden
Platforms like Vinted and Vestiaire Collective, to name the most famous, have replaced for many all other traditional shopping channels. Both apps are mainly used to buy clothes, bags, and designer shoes at good prices, as well as to clear out your closets; but another way to use the app, especially Vinted, is to hunt for incredible pieces that hold value for their design and quality, yet are sold for just a few euros because they are outdated or made by brands now forgotten.
In fact, any piece of clothing produced in Italy from the ’70s onward, though humble, has a level of quality that today can only be found in the stratosphere of luxury. Many garments from the brands we will list are special precisely for this reason: they cost much less than any fast fashion and often, having been made in unsuspecting times, possess a quality that makes them last for decades.
So here are the 10 best Italian vintage brands to look for on Vinted.
1. Old Armani
@uniformdisplay Vintage Armani was the way!
For several years now, especially in America but also in France, luxury vintage enthusiasts have been hunting for old Armani pieces, particularly Emporio Armani, which in the ’90s produced a series of leather jackets and sweaters that never made you think of a diffusion line. But there are treasures throughout the brand’s discontinued lines: Armani Collezioni, Armani Exchange, and Armani Jeans from the ’90s and early 2000s are true masterpieces today.
2. D&G
@elisaagostinelli_ Tutti disponibili su relovaarchiva.com (pagamenti con Klarna attivi) o su Vestiaire Collective. @relovaarchiva #DolceGabbana #VintageFashion #ArchiveFashion #VintageFinds #VintageDesigner suono originale - Elisa Agostinelli
Closed in 2011, D&G was Dolce&Gabbana’s diffusion line. It’s hard to explain today how famous and popular this line was (perhaps that’s why it was eventually discontinued), but the reason behind its enormous success was that the designers managed to channel all their creativity into affordable products of quality that is still very high today. Old D&G items can now be found secondhand at incredibly low prices and, despite their age, remain in many cases completely modern and always very edgy.
3. Gran Sasso
@greggusto Found some a nice Italian made t-shirt at the thrift
Historic stronghold of Italian knitwear, Gran Sasso still produces today with the same quality as in the past. Given the brand’s relative obscurity today and its very traditional image, the prices of its secondhand products are very low compared to the value of the yarns and the precision of construction. The brand is ideal for anyone wanting to buy high-end basics that feel exquisite to the touch.
4. Old Versace
@00srunwayy #versace menswear f/w 2001 | #fyp #foryoupage #fashion #girlboss #viral give it to me timbaland - zen
With Versace, one could open up a whole world. From the historic Gianni Versace label to the various lines Istante, Versus, Versace Classic V2, and Versace Jeans Couture (which still exists today), the brand produced a huge number of items between the ’90s and early 2000s. Some historic Gianni Versace pieces, especially leather jackets, still cost a fortune today, but it’s possible to find a range of items at very low prices that still carry that distinctive style and quality now unimaginable for diffusion products. The only real challenge is filtering the truly valuable pieces from the tons of logoed merch—but it’s worth it.
5. Corneliani
The supreme Italian tailoring brand active since the ’30s, Corneliani has dressed generations of Italian men with formal suits, coats, and shoes. Today, the vintage market is full of tailored pieces in almost perfect condition costing much less than their polyester blends found at Zara and H&M. In terms of construction and fabrics, vintage Corneliani pieces far surpass The Row and many other modern brands. The items themselves may not be the most fashion-forward, but they will always make a magnificent addition to your wardrobe.
6. Gianfranco Ferrè
In the ’80s, Ferrè’s empire was massive. The number of his diffusion lines perhaps rivaled Comme des Garçons. This means it’s possible today to find a variety of incredible pieces on secondhand platforms, from tailoring to accessories. Ferrè tended to print huge logos on his most commercial products, which should be avoided, but the sportier and more modern pieces are today completely wearable and contemporary. After all, you don’t become creative director of Christian Dior without mastering your craft—and Ferrè did.
7. Mila Schön
@meylichiong Anneliese Seubert & Shalom Harlow for #milaschon autumn/winter 1995 #annelieseseubert #shalomharlow #catwalk #supermodel #catwalkmodel #model #topmodels #fashion #runway #runwaymodel #couture #fyp #fashionshow #moda #highfashion #edit #explorepage #foryoupage #viral #trending #trendingreels Sadeness - Enigma
Mila Schön’s most legendary pieces will always be her double-faced items from the ’60s and ’70s, but across all categories, including menswear, the Dalmatian designer produced (even under license) truly remarkable products. Today, it’s easier to find pieces from the ’80s: some may look slightly outdated, but there are many, especially classic ones, that make perfect additions to a wardrobe in need of golden finds.
8. Energie
There was a time, now very distant, when Energie became so popular it bordered on cringe. Yet today, looking at the brand’s pieces, especially jeans, they are stunning both in craftsmanship and, as in all cases on this list, today almost luxurious; but above all for their cuts and graphics, whose creativity between boho and Y2K is more relevant than ever.
9. ONYX
When in the early 2000s Onyx was all the rage across Italy, no young Millennial would have imagined that, twenty years later, those same pieces would look almost avant-garde. Beyond the many t-shirts and trousers, which are very wearable, the most sought-after pieces are incredible for their time: leather jackets, knitwear, bags, and even accessories represent some of the most surprising finds at prices often under twenty euros.
10. 55DSL/Diesel Black Gold
Today Diesel is incredibly cool, especially thanks to Glenn Martens. But before the Belgian designer’s arrival, the brand wasn’t doing so well. Yet until the mid-2010s, the brand had two lines, a diffusion line and a premium line called FFDSL and Diesel Black Gold (the latter showed on the runway), which still retain the deeply Y2K vibe that Martens has reinterpreted, but at far more competitive prices—perfect for a clothing haul.
