VINTAGE IS NOT VINTED (it’s Vincent) - VINCENT NELIS
Interviewer- At what point did the clothes come into the shop?
Vincent- It started out with shoes seven years ago. I had a thing with shoes, then one day came a jacket, so it was slow at the start. 3 years ago the store became full of clothes.
Int- Yes, the clothes took over, yet you still buy and sell unusual antiques.
V- The old clients come in not understanding why I sell so many old clothes now. Change is always difficult. In the end, they understand my shift towards clothing.
Int- Do you think the vintage clothes attract more young people to your shop?
V- Yes, more than before. However, since the shop is in Oud Zuid, a lot of older local people come by, so it’s a very good mix now. Clothing is a good bridge between generations. A lot of older people come here with great knowledge, they test mine. All generations get in contact with each other here.
Int- I notice that there is always great music playing.
V- I’ve always been a fan of a lot of different genres. My taste in clothing is just as sporadic as my taste in music. What I like can be French or Japanese or English, doesn’t matter. If I like it, I buy it.
Int- So that’s your criteria: a personal one?
V- Yes, I don’t buy things for other people, I buy them for me. The shop is full of stuff I would wear or could wear since normally it’s my size. It’s an extension of my closet.
Int- You’ve been here for 25 years. Over time, you’ve seen the internet and social media emerge. How did you adapt to that?
V- Well, I buy online, and these days I do research online. I don’t sell a lot online though; I use Instagram more as a teaser to get people here. Sometimes people ask me to send certain items and I’ve done it once or twice, but it’s a lot of work since I do this solo.
Int- For sure, having a physical business and also an online one is like having two shops due to the amount of workload. In Amsterdam, there are a lot of vintage shops, but this is one of the few antique clothing stores. It feels more personal than a business.
V- Yes. “CKX Studio” is another really good one, she’s very in love with what she does, she has a real passion for vintage and I respect the way she runs her business (Harmony Hendrickx).
Int- You curate a beautiful combination of Americana and workwear, but there’s so much more here. There are a lot of easter eggs, designer vintage, and so on. When there are so many different parts of history in the same shop, it becomes very clear how many fashion designers directly took inspiration from army wear and so on.
V- I always like to see how the military influenced all corners of the fashion world. For instance, the hunting jackets have these front pockets that came from army wear, and later designers put it into a weird trench coat or something.
Int- Everything trickles down or up. And these easter eggs are also the glasses, scientific instruments, artworks, telescopes, etc. The shop lives like an organ.
V- Yes, there’s a system. A lot of stuff comes in and out, thankfully. It all goes and comes. But you know, I have a buying “thing”. I always bought a lot when I did antiques, at some point the furniture stopped working, but I still have all the scientific tools, which I love although it’s a very niche market. With these objects, I have to do everything with the internet and I’m not good with that. I don’t like sending stuff over to people who haven’t even seen it or touched it. You need to really feel an item of clothing if you want to buy it. I also buy online, but then it’s always taking a gamble, either it’s amazing or shit.
Int- It seems like everyone buys like this nowadays.
V- Everyone is always gambling. That’s why people have piles of clothes they want to sell. If the gamble doesn’t go well, the garment is back on Vinted, circulating around the world again. It’s not very sustainable. You always need intention when you buy. Always take your time and do your research. Don’t give into the “see it, want it, buy it” behavior. The internet makes life easier, but when it comes to buying clothes, it also makes it less romantic.
Int- I like the word romantic because this is a very romantic store, and if you go on Vinted it’s the opposite of that.
V- Yes. There are some good pages or sites with good photography: in a crappy old building with mirrors and the clothes are laid out on the floor with a bit of dust. It looks great, but it doesn’t tell you anything about the piece.
Int- It’s marketing.
Vinted has become a marketplace for overpriced Prada Sport shoes and Marithé + François Girbaud tops. Sellers ask whatever they want for a trendy vintage piece, ignoring the actual market value of the item. You can put any price tag on anything; however, until someone buys it, that is not its worth.
The trendmania has migrated from fast fashion to the secondhand market. Think Balenciaga city bags, Levi’s Engineered twisted buckle-back jeans, and Bikkembergs boots. Buying into second-hand trends has become another form of wasteful shopping and overconsumption. People seem to pay anything to be recognized as a niche fashion lover. Like all trends, they come and go. So, hold on because soon everyone will be selling their Margiela tabis on Vinted, and you’ll get them for a better deal.
Vincent has prioritized quality and history over trends and fast-paced fashion. On every item in his shop, you can find a handwritten tag with the price and an indication of the piece’s origin. You’ll be amazed at how far some of these pieces of clothing have traveled, like personalized helmets from the Vietnam War or Japanese kimonos that have been repaired and stitched together multiple times. Can Vintage and Vinted coexist? Head down to Roelof Hartstraat and ask Vincent.