These timeless historical gowns have been stored in the vaults of fashion houses throughout the years as part of their archival process, but were recently brought to life by various celebrities.
The biggest fashion houses are what they are today due to the long tenure they have in the industry. Some brands have been releasing beautiful collections for decades, and continue to uphold their legacy of craftsmanship and design intelligence.
Brands with such long and prestigious histories usually maintain archives of their old items. Built throughout the years, these repositories contain thousands of beautiful clothes that epitomize a fashion house’s journey in the industry.
For some time, archival pieces were distant memories hidden away from the general public—but with the growth social media, it seems that designs from the past are coming alive once again and being brought to the forefront of people’s screens.
Adding to that, with events now back to normal after the pandemic, celebrities and personalities have more reason to return to the red carpet in grand ensembles from the past. Below are some celebrities who had the honor of showcasing these old but gold designs from different luxury brands:
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Bella Hadid in 1996 Tom Ford Gucci
Starting with the most recent design, Bella Hadid wore a white body-fitting dress with a purposeful hole in the torso, which is topped with a gold sculptural detail. It’s a design that embodies the “sex sells” mantra of Tom Ford during his time at Gucci.
Dua Lipa in 1992 Chanel Haute Couture Bridal
Dua Lipa attended this year’s MET Gala in a Karl Lagerfeld Haute Couture piece. She wore a Chanel bridal gown with a sharp-curved bustier and bubble-skirt. Made from the iconic Chanel tweed, the unfinished and raw edges of the gown add personality to the dress—communicating Lagerfeld’s signature design techniques.
Jennie Ruby Jane in 1990 Chanel
Another Lagerfeld design, Jennie of Blackpink wore a mini-dress from the 1990 Chanel ready-to-wear collection. More specifically, she wore look 164 from the collection—a white dress with a simple Camellia detail on top of an oversized black ribbon.
Zendaya in 1956 Balmain
Zendaya is not new to wearing archival pieces on the red carpet, but her look for the 2022 NAACP Image Awards left fashion aficionados flabbergasted. Wearing a red and green couture gown by Balmain, the actress was a vision of classic sophistication in the piece’s balloon silhouette.
Natalie Portman in 1949 Christian Dior “Junon”
Recently, Natalie Portman went viral for the dress she wore during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The Oscar-winning actress wore an ethereal Christian Dior gown. Every tier of the dress’ layered skirt looked like delicate butterfly wings.
Aside from the gown’s beauty, the inspiration behind it also fascinated netizens. From the Fall/Winter 1949 collection, the gown was an ode to the Roman goddess Juno, wife to Zeus and queen of the gods. Indeed, the breathtaking gown truly looks divine and fit for a queen.
Banner photo via Instagram @diorbeauty.
