In 2007 Juliana Cairone, “an avid collector and historian of fashion,” opened RARE Vintage on 57th Street to share her love of designer vintage fashion with the world. The luxe vintage store carries exclusive, timeless, and ‘rare’ pieces from the couture fashion houses of New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Juliana “predominately” handpicks the gowns herself from private collections, and has stated that she “is thrilled and honored each time she is invited into someone’s home and shown pieces that make up a woman’s or a family’s personal history.” And no doubt, the sellers feel honored by who wears their gowns next.
Celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, and Lady Gaga have worn exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces from RARE Vintage to Red Carpet events, and actresses Anne Hathaway, Rachel Weisz, Julia Roberts, and Maggie Gyllenhall have worn pieces in photo shoots for many major magazines. Juliana knows her fashion and is very selective about the pieces she buys to display in RARE Vintage, so it’s no wonder her gowns have become so famous.
Amongst her gown curation can be found names from the major fashion capitals of the world. Claire McCardell, Bill Blass, Stephen Sprouse, Valentina, and Halston from New York. Ossie Clark, Thea Porter, Zandra Rhodes, and Bill Gibb from London. Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Channel, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Madame Gres, and Balenciaga from Paris, a city frequented often by Juliana on her quest. And Gianni Versace, Valentino Couture, Frederico Forquet, and Roberto Capucci from Milan. More important than the name is the quality of the pieces Juliana selects, only museum quality is acceptable to be hung on the racks of RARE Vintage.
After perusing RARE Vintage’s collection we are confident you’ll find, not only one (but several pieces) for your own collection.
Words by Jessika Brown