How do celebrities get their hands on museum-quality gowns?

By Leah Dolan, CNN

(CNN) — It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when old became the new — well — new. But today, as more and more celebrities choose to wear vintage, the all-important stretch of red carpet has started to look more like a museum hallway.

At the Grammy’s in February, Miley Cyrus, Laverne Cox and Olivia Rodrigo each arrived in vintage Bob Mackie, Comme des Garcons and Versace respectively. “Big stars in old clothes was the trend of the night,” wrote the New York Times’ fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman. March’s Oscars ceremony was another hotbed of second-hand dressing. Cardi B stepped out at the Vanity Fair after party in a black embellished lace Versace gown from Spring-Summer 2003, while Margot Robbie and Jennifer Lawrence wore Mugler and Givenchy — both from 1996.

That’s before taking into account the moments outside of 2024  — Cardi B, again, in Mugler’s 1996 “Venus” shell dress at the 2019 Grammys, or Kim Kardashian in 2022, ascending the Met steps in Marilyn Monroe’s museum-exhibited “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” gown.

More recently, at Monday’s Met Gala, Emily Ratajkowski stepped out onto “The Garden of Time” themed carpet in a haute couture Versace naked dress from 2001. Part way through the evening, Zendaya made a quick change into a black taffeta Givenchy gown from the same year she was born. But it was Kendall Jenner who made the loudest statement of the night, as she became the first person to wear her vintage 1999 Givenchy look in the public, according to the brand.

‘The future of fashion’

In reality, A-listers have been digging into the archives of fashion houses for more than two decades. In 2001, Renée Zellweger arrived at the Oscars in a canary yellow 1950s Jean Dessès gown. Just behind her was Julia Roberts, minutes away from accepting her Academy Award for “Erin Brockovich,” wearing a black velvet Valentino dress with dynamic white piping from 1992. But even industry insiders believe the current appetite for archival looks represents a shift in the fashion ecosystem.

“At the (2024) Oscars, I think we probably saw more people wear archival vintage than ever before.” said Erin Walsh, celebrity stylist to a roster of clients including Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez and Sarah Jessica Parker, in a video interview with CNN. “It became the future (of fashion) instantly this year.”

One label in particular has been at the forefront of the archival movement. Mugler — the luxury French fashion house responsible for dressing Zendaya in a 30 kilogram full metal robot suit from 1995. The look, devised for the London premiere of “Dune: Part Two,” transcended fashion, making headlines across the internet. According to WWD, the stunt generated a $152 million media impact value for the brand, and was the result of a year’s worth of planning.

“Every year we get countless requests to wear the (Fall-Winter 1997 haute couture) Chimera dress or the robot suit,” Adrian Corsin, managing director of Mugler, told CNN over video call. (The Chimera dress is widely regarded as one of the most expensive couture creations ever made.) “But it’s really about finding the right moment for us. That was finally the right moment.”

Once Mugler agreed to the request made by Zendaya’s stylist and longtime collaborator Law Roach, the logistical talk could begin. What would she wear underneath? The original flesh-toned bodysuit had disappeared over the decades, so they would need a new one to shield Zendaya from the armor’s perspex port holes. How would she get to the venue? The suit doesn’t accommodate bending. Would she be able to walk in the garment? It was initially designed by Jean-Jacques Urcun for a short catwalk strut, while Zendaya needed to climb stairs. But above all else, would she even fit?

“That was the main question,” said Marion Bourdée, Mugler’s head of archives. Alterations beyond a slight extension of the legs were off the table, it would either work or it wouldn’t. “It hadn’t been worn for years and years, and Zendaya’s proportions were quite different from the original model. But at the first fitting we were all quite moved, because it fit like a glove.”

Inside the archive

Before the look was given a second lease of life, it had spent years in Mugler’s archives — a secret place somewhere in the center of France that houses more than 6,000 priceless pieces. “It’s very hidden, you wouldn’t imagine from the outside that it’s there,” said Bourdée. “Nobody has access to that place. Just Adrian and me.” There, the suit was preserved in a custom box; the inside molded to the shape of each segment like a gun case. “It floats there basically, in this coffin box,” said Corsin.

Although interest in vintage fashion is rising amongst celebrity clients, not everyone is qualified to physically handle these pieces. “Unfortunately there’s some misconception around what a fashion archivist really is,” said Julie Ann Clauss, owner of The Wardrobe — a private LA-based storage service used by brands and individuals alike — in a video call. “A lot of people use the term really broadly. I have a museum studies degree, and all professional archivists do.”

Clauss, who also works as an archivist for Tom Ford, said she was required to take college-level chemistry, as well as learn a second language, before qualifying in her role. “You need to understand the things that will go wrong if fabrics are stored improperly, or glass beads for example. There are so many different things that happen just as a natural result of chemical reactions between the piece and the environment, or the way it’s handled.”

Archival storage spaces, like the one that stowed the 1995 Mugler robot suit, are more than just big closets filled with racks of clothes, too. Clauss’ museum standard facility in LA preserves collections for a range of clients — from Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Carolina Herrera to musicians and actors. “It’s very clean, usually very white,” she said. “Dust attracts pests. Moths don’t eat garments, they eat protein and that’s what they’re going for on your sweater… It’s the pieces of your hair, proteinaceous things.”

From the temperature down to the humidity, everything is painstakingly controlled to suspend the process of deterioration. Even the light must be filtered. “We don’t have the lights on, unnecessarily,” said Clauss. “Otherwise you’ll get what’s known as light fugivity… where exposure causes fibers to weaken and eventually shatter and rip.”

Fashion’s rat race

But if these one-of-a-kind pieces are so fragile, and the method of their conservation so exact, how do celebrities even get their hands on them?

“I don’t loan out,” said Clauss. “But I get calls from stylists all the time that are under the impression I do. It’s up to my individual clients. I redirect (the request) to the brand’s press team who will make the decision.”

Who gets to borrow directly from brands is often a hierarchical question. “Requests have increased a lot,” said Bourdée back at Mugler. “Since Cardi, and even more after Kylie. But we want the loans of archives to remain exceptional.” Jenner, who has been loaned three vintage looks by the label, sent a team to scout around the Brooklyn Museum’s 2022 exhibition “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” before it was even finished to select her outfit options for opening night. “We allowed her stylists to come to the museum while we were still installing the looks on the mannequins, and they chose pieces that they would want to try on Kylie,” Bourdée said.

But not everyone finds this level of access impressive. In 2022, when Kim Kardashian borrowed Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 gown from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, many on social media claimed the dress had been ruined — spurred on by photos of missing crystals and loose threads. (A few months later, Ripley’s issued a statement insisting the garment did not suffer any damage and was received in that condition when won in a 2016 auction.) The International Council of Museums agreed that in the interest of preservation, historic pieces “should not be worn by anybody, public or private figures.” Mugler, however, believes the risk is worth the reward. “If it’s always stuffed away in boxes, people won’t get to enjoy it,” said Corsin. “And even in exhibitions, pieces can be damaged,” added Bourdée. “People fall into the displays.”

There are other options, too, says Erin Walsh, for those who are not able to leisurely browse museum-grade archives. “People make it sound so mysterious to get great vintage,” she said. “Vintage is wildly accessible. I’ve been using (stores) like Shrimpton Couture, New York Vintage or Decades since I started my career 15 years ago.”

And while it’s tempting to think the recent uptick in vintage was purely a renewed appreciation of fashion history, Walsh suspects there is a more practical answer for why the desire for older garments has skyrocketed. “There weren’t enough samples (of current designer pieces),” she said. “It seems like everybody’s in a rat race to finish something very quickly, or there’s not enough that can be made.”

Between awards season and fashion week preparation, Walsh believes designers are buckling under the increasing pace of the industry. “This need for pulling archive pieces, it really just highlights what’s happening in the fashion marketplace. There’s too many (events) for people to go to. We’re being put into a situation where I don’t think anybody can keep up with it. We’re having to go with a different solution, there’s no other way to keep up with demand.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, fashion showrooms were reportedly “wiped clean” in January, following a backlog in press tours, premieres and events caused by the SAG-AFTRA strike last autumn. “Nobody was doing anything, then suddenly all the awards were at the same time. Anybody who was on the award circuit or who works in fashion didn’t have one weekend off in three months,” said Walsh.

But whether it was born out of necessity or not, the cultural kudos an exclusive archival pull can bestow is powerful — for both the brand and the wearer. At the Met Gala, Kendall Jenner’s vintage Givenchy gown made instant headlines across the internet. “It’s such a special moment,” she told Vogue on the night. “I feel extremely honored that they’re allowing me to wear it.” And the more precious the garment, the more prestigious the outfit. Is there anything Mugler would never consider loaning, even for Zendaya or the Jenners? “Never say never,” Corsin said.

“Even the Chimera, one of the most coveted pieces in fashion history of the 20th century. All I can say for the moment is it hasn’t been loaned out.”

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