2025 has been a stellar year for vintage fashion – as shown during awards season, where an array of rare archival pieces made their way onto the red carpet. There was Mikey Madison in ’90s Armani at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Cynthia Erivo in a metallic Alexander McQueen-era Givenchy number at the SAG Awards, and Ariana Grande in a pink-feathered gown from Yves Saint Laurent’s autumn/winter 1991 collection at the Oscars nominees dinner.
In fact, Grande has been on a major vintage streak this year, with her partnership with Law Roach delivering a series of stand-out archival looks during the Wicked: For Good press tour, from a ’50s pink floral-adorned Lilli Diamond dress and opera coat to a ’30s embellished slip. “Stylists are thinking outside of the box, and we love it,“ Veronica Norris, creative director of Amarcord Vintage – which sourced a number of the vintage looks worn by Grande during the tour – tells Vogue. “They’re looking for truly special pieces, not just the expected trophies or names.”
Beyond the red carpet, we’ve also seen stars embracing archival looks from the 2010s, including Phoebe Philo’s Céline (see Margot Robbie wearing a printed minidress from the designer’s spring/summer 2014 collection) to Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga (see Kendall Jenner’s furry coat in Aspen back in January).
Could this be a sign of what to expect next year? Below, we asked the vintage experts to share their predictions for the biggest vintage trends to watch out for in 2026.
The return of the 2010s
While the obsession with ’90s and Noughties fashion isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, it’s only natural that vintage heads are beginning to look to the 2010s: Phoebe Philo-era Céline, Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada’s vast archives, the list goes on. “Selfishly, as a 2010s collector, I hope that period will be reintroduced more as we move closer to it being considered firmly within the vintage world,” says Callen Archive’s Cal McNeil, who wants to see renewed attention on the likes of Christopher Kane, Rodarte, Alber Elbaz’s Lanvin, Riccardo Tisci’s Givenchy, Proenza Schouler, and Raf Simons’s Jil Sander.
Museum-worthy vintage
Archival John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier have dominated the red carpet in recent years, but increasingly we’re seeing celebrities and their stylists opting for lesser-known designers or no-label vintage going as far back as the 1920s. “We’re getting a ton of requests for older pieces, from the 1920s to 1950s, which makes sense,” Norris reflects. “After all, so many of the Y2K bias silhouettes or ’90s pieces are derived from their predecessors of those eras, but antique pieces come with an age and a story that gives a uniqueness you won’t find in those pieces from the early aughts.”
’50s Hollywood glamour
Come awards season, expect to see plenty of ’50s vintage on the red carpet – with Ariana Grande’s recent archival looks being particularly influential here. “I really think we are going to see a surge in Old Hollywood dressing,” says Timeless Vixen’s Lauren Lepire, who sourced three of the ’50s dresses worn by Grande in the past month. “Her archival looks have been so well received that I think we’ll start seeing a trickle-down effect, because wearing something gorgeous that was made many decades prior is always a huge fashion flex.”
Tops and skirts
Trophy dresses have been the most popular choice on the red carpet to date – but in 2026, archival two-pieces are likely to get their moment to shine. “Think Sarah Jessica Parker wearing the black beaded bandeau and full skirt from the Prada spring/summer 2001 collection, or Jennifer Aniston wearing the simple strapless scarf top and maxi skirt ensemble to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 1999,” My Runway Archive’s Christelle McCracken explains. “The full skirt and nice top ensembles were a frequent fixture of the late ’90s and early 2000s and are so much cooler and underrated than the traditional gown.”
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A focus on craftsmanship
Major archival moments in recent years have typically come via instantly recognisable pieces of fashion history (Zendaya’s robot suit from Mugler’s autumn/winter 1995 collection comes to mind), but in 2026, experts are predicting a shift to more understated designs that celebrate craftsmanship. “The wow factor will come less from shine and more from craftsmanship, construction, and the kind of materials that stop people in their tracks without needing to scream,” Into Archive’s Kate Mao says.
Celebrity rewears
We’ve seen the likes of the Princess of Wales and Cate Blanchett fly the flag for red-carpet rewears, so it’s only a matter of time before we see other celebrities returning to the vintage pieces in their archives, too. “I think we’ll see more re-worn vintage looks by the same celebrity, as well as more next-gen celebrities wearing vintage pieces previously worn by past generations, especially garments tied to cultural milestones in music and film,” says McNeil.
This article first appeared on Vogue.co.uk
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