Amber Valletta has been going to the Met Gala since the 1990s—before it became the celebrity spectacle that it is today—and as this year’s ball approaches, Chloe sat down with Amber to look back on some of her most memorable looks over the years. First, Chloe wanted to know about perhaps her most daring one, from 2004, for the “Dangerous Liaisons” gala: Amber wore a corseted top with a John Galliano skirt, and put Sofia Coppola costumes to shame with her full-on Marie Antoinette drag, powdered curls and all.
Amber revealed that contrary to popular belief, many of her Met looks have been borrowed, making them more sustainable—something she values both in her closet and in her general lifestyle. For the most part, she refrains from buying new, preferring instead to “shop” from her own closet and forage through archives. Asked how she stores her vintage, Amber admitted that she doesn’t do anything special—she just hangs it all in her closet with the rest of her clothes. Celebrities, they’re just like us!
Also on the show, to commemorate of Earth Day, Margaux Anbouba, Emily Chan, and Lilah Ramzi talk about all things vintage and the release of Vogue’s sprawling new Vintage Guide. Our resident vintage experts started off with a ’fit check, and unsurprisingly they were all wearing vintage or upcycled clothing. In their wide-ranging conversation, the group defined the terms they were working with: What even is vintage? What is consignment? And what’s the consensus on recreating vintage looks? Is it chic and thrifty or tacky and tired?
They went on to discuss both the perks of shopping from a past era and the setbacks—namely, the challenge many plus-sized folks face when it comes to finding vintage that fits. (Margaux pointed to Emma Specter’s recent story about the flea market in Los Angeles that is working to change that.) While a talented tailor can sometimes help with disparities in sizing, vintage recreation, a controversial topic, is yet another route to accessing vintage styles.
The rise of vintage means that old trends are constantly coming back, and Margaux (and only Margaux) is thrilled about the recent return of low rise jeans. And tune in to hear about the vintage white whales they are each on the hunt for—but don’t you dare try to outbid them.