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Amarcord brings vintage to NYC
Photo: Amarcord SoHo store
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From the sexy Bridgette Bardot to the elegant Sophia Loren to Ingrid Bergman’s classical beauty, Amarcord, known as the crème de la crème of New York’s vintage fashion stores, is the time machine that captures these iconic styles through their vintage clothing and accessories. Amarcord vintage stores carry European clothing, shoes and accessories focusing on styles from the 1940’s through the 1980’s. Amarcord is not just our own New York City gem, but is world-renowned as well; in 2005 it was featured in a month long vintage show and sale at Le Printemps in Paris. Whether you’re in need of some nostalgia or just a piece to spice up your outfit, this is the place to go.
Storeowners Patti Bordoni and Marco Liotta travel throughout Europe and the United States several times a year to collect the pieces that fill their stores. Although their store is based on traditionally European fashion, they do not let this limit themselves; if they find fashion with roots from other parts of the world that inspire them or reflect what’s in style, they go for it.
Amarcord has expanded into two retail stores and a warehouse. Their warehouse is home to their rent-only line, which consists of what Patti describes as “the oldest, most eccentric, the most interesting from a design perspective, collectible pieces and labels.” Their collection at the SoHo retail store is similar, but its focus is on clothes that are more contemporary, wearable and trendy. It also houses a spectacular collection of handbags and shoes, which Patti says are a staple of their store. They use their Williamsburg location for more moderately priced clothing that have more of an edgy and hip feel. The Williamsburg collection has also expanded to include menswear.
The owners come from Rimini, Italy and they brought with them their impeccable Italian tastes. They wanted to bring a new market of vintage clothing to New York City. The name “Amacord” is not just a means of paying homage to the film directed by their hometown native, Federico Fellini, but also means “I remember” in their native dialect. Through their taste, they have kept alive the fashion and the culture of not only Italy, but also greater Europe throughout the 20th century. Although their pieces are fun, they embody something much more, because they literally give us the opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Amarcord is located at 252 Lafayette St. (between Prince and Spring), and is open Monday-Saturday 12-7:30 p.m. and Sunday 12-7 p.m.. Their Williamsburg retail collection is at 223 Bedford Ave. (between N. 4th and N. 5th), and open daily from 12-8 p.m.. Online shopping and further information can be found on their website, www.amarcordvintagefashion.com