On the radar: Archive Six
As sustainable fashion reaches global heights, we spoke to Thidarat Kaha, founder of Archive Six on designer archives and nostalgia.
Words Sufiyeh Hadian Photography JC Verona
T wears Versace Vintage Lime Green Silk Medusa Detail Jacket. Versace Vintage S/S 1995 Robert Indiana Pop Art Love Printed Jeans.
Archive Six is a rare vintage and designer archive brand, founded by Thidarat Kaha, a small, woman-owned business based in London with a global reach. Archive Six is committed to motivating a change in consumers' attitudes and behaviours when it comes to sustainability and fashion. Thidarat also aims to champion women and creatives from minority and BIPOC communities.
We got to know Thidarat a little better...
How did you get into re-selling iconic archive fashion pieces?
I started selling vintage back in 2015 but have always loved and collected vintage, and designer archive pieces. In 2021, I rebranded Archive Six and focused even more on rare vintage and designer archive pieces, refining my collection and curation process.
Did you study art or fashion?
I studied Fashion Design and interned at an iconic British fashion house. I think this probably was my first in-person experience of high fashion and the creative artistry that went into designing and producing special high-end pieces. A real hands-on experience from being in the studio working on samples, organising their past collection archives, to being in Paris for the shows.
“Great design and trends are timeless. They capture that moment in time for us and the essence is always there no matter when we revisit it.”
What was the first designer archive item you invested in?
Back when I was at uni I went to a Vivienne Westwood sample sale and purchased a pair of croc black heels – not quite archive but I remember feeling happy to own a pair of designer shoes that I had purchased for myself. Honestly, I can’t remember the first archive designer piece I purchased for Archive Six, there’s been so many, although I imagine it was probably a Burberry piece.
What’s your most favourite piece to wear?
I love wearing vintage Jean Paul Gaultier. It just makes me feel like ‘that bitch’ …. Ya know :) To me, vintage Gaultier is so unique and special, because although it is high-end and very rare, (depending on the piece) it still holds that grunge, fun, and rebellious energy. 1995-1997 Gaultier probably has some of my favourite pieces. I love them all though, especially the prints and matching co-ord sets… I love me a matching set.
T wear Jean-Paul Gaultier Vintage A/W 1995 Lurex Jumper
Why do you think re-sell fashion is such an important step for sustainability?
Many reasons but ultimately it keeps clothes in circulation for longer. The most sustainable piece of clothing is the one that is already made.
If you could go back in time and wear every piece from a particular runway collection, what designer / collection would it be?
Jean Paul Gaultier A/W 1996 closely followed by Vivienne Westwood 1992.
”I love wearing vintage Jean Paul Gaultier. It just makes me feel like ‘that bitch’ …. Ya know :)”
Jean Paul Gaultier Vintage Tribal Print Mesh Top 1990s
Why do you think fashion or trends in general have tendency to recycle every 20 years?
I think it has always been like this, it’s just the nature of rejuvenated and re-inspired creative energy and flow. When the current art and fashion landscape becomes monotonous and saturated by the same thing we get this feeling of nostalgia. We look back for inspiration to move us forward. We take elements from the past and recreate them in a slightly different way. Additionally, great design and trends are timeless. They capture that moment in time for us and the essence is always there no matter when we revisit it. It's a universal language that speaks to us in a hundred different ways no matter who we are. People inspire culture, culture inspires fashion, music and art. It’s cyclical, it becomes timeless. It’s iconic.
Do you think Millennials and Gen Z are more drawn to nostalgia? Why do you think that is/isn’t?
I think for creative people, it’s the pursuit of being different and unique – and so many things in today's world are almost too convenient, fast and only reaches us on an aesthetic and surface level. Gen Z and the Millennials are much more conscious about the negative effect fast fashion has on the planet and more aware of the lack of equality and poor working conditions, especially for women and children in the less glamourous side of the fashion industry. I think we all want something more on some sort of level, no matter what age or background. I feel we all have a desire to express ourselves authentically, and through clothes, we crave something with more substance, something with a story, something more sustainable, and ultimately something special. All elements we (hope to) see in ourselves.
Vivienne Westwood Marlene Jacket Harris Jeans Boucher Set Suit AW 21/22 ( FUTURE ARCHIVE)
T wears Versace Vintage Lime Green Silk Medusa Detail Jacket. Versace Vintage S/S 1995 Robert Indiana Pop Art Love Printed Jeans.
You’re a big fan of prints and art within a fashion context (Francois Boucher for Vivienne Westwood for example). What draws you to this style of maximalism?
It’s just the beauty of it, and the flamboyant nature of putting art on clothing. I feel it’s an extension of art, a wearable canvas of some sort, but refined, considered and a fashion piece not just an art project statement. As a collector and curator of archive designer pieces, I see them as a way for people to express themselves, and even when if they have nothing to say, the clothes speak for themselves.
“The future of fashion has to be sustainable, we need to prioritise quality over quantity and cultivate a safe space for our communities to grow and thrive.”
What’s next for you?
I want to continue to build the community and culture of sustainability within the fashion industry without compromising on quality or style. One of my main goals looking ahead is to continue to curate a bespoke archive collection available to buy and rent and make it more accessible to more people to enjoy and appreciate. I also want to bring people together with events and open up inspiring and thought-provoking discussions in panel talks on sustainability and the art of curation and finding your niche.
The future of fashion has to be sustainable, we need to prioritise quality over quantity and cultivate a safe space for our communities to grow and thrive...the future of our planet, our home and our future depends on it.
Vivienne Westwood Marlene Jacket Harris Jeans Boucher Set Suit AW 21/22 ( FUTURE ARCHIVE)
Find out more about Archive Six on their website and follow them on Instagram
Archive Six have a pop-up shop until the end of January 2022 at THE COLLECT POP-UP 500 Oxford Street, London, W1C 2QQ.
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