Vintage archive

In Italy, all the most important chapters in the history of fashion and costume will always have Milan as a backdrop. This is because of all the important labels that call Milan a home, because of its sartorial tradition, its fashion district, and the large number of ateliers that have always populated its streets and alleys. But also, and perhaps especially, because the city is characterized by a strong fashion culture that blends with its art, with its love for beauty and with its bourgeois charm. A charm made of exhibitions, Opera premieres and galas. A charm rooted in Futurism, in the works of Balla and Paola Pivi, in the theater of Grassi, Strehler and Ronconi, in the Fine Arts Academy of Brera, in the Jamaica Café, in the exquisite pastries of Cucchi, in the Feminist protests of Sixties dressed which inspired the Armani jacket and in the working-class protests with Dario Fo and France Rame – Milan’s artistic power couple par excellence. The charm still lives today, within the fashion weeks and the design weeks, and in all of Milan’s artistic experimental avantguards; the essence of this charm is embedded in Cavalli e Nastri’s Archive.

A magic place, where beauty and tradition blend with the hazards of Haute Couture. A labyrinth where the history of costume comes to life and the best of Made in Italy and international fashion, from Savile Row to Avenue Montaigne, share their stories through the glorious wardrobes of the past. From old fashion magazines to the Debutantes Ball, from the meticulous work of the old tailor shops in Milan’s fashion district to the invitations at court, from the Roaring Twenties to the Age of Aquarius, from Palazzo Pitti in Florence to the most beautiful Milanese villas, from prestigious private collections to the old forgotten warehouses of overseas boutiques…. The art of the well-made shines again.

The Vintage Archive of Cavalli e Nastri, beating heart of our activity, welcomes by appointment press, stylists, photographers, costume-makers, collectors, curators and vintage-lovers. A team of various professionals (tailors, curators, experts and specialists) is available to welcome, guide and assist visitors in their hunt for the one-of-a-kind rarity. The future of fashion is written in its past.
Book here your appointment.