After a Swedish summer break, we’re back with a special edition of the ongoing series, appearing almost every Friday or Saturday, in which I share a selection of the pre-owned items currently on my radar.
About two months ago I visited a new store in Amsterdam I had heard people talk of — a store without a website and with a slightly mysterious sounding name: Stil Archive. When I walked in it felt as if this weekly series had suddenly assumed physical form. A white space in a leaning and crooked early 18th-century building, there was everything from early Lemaire, Our Legacy in its prime and 90s Helmut Lang to sun-faded vintage tees, 80s Stone Island Marina and paint splattered, concrete battered Carhartt double knees — all color-arranged, with Popeye magazines on a side table and a kind-hearted young man behind a wooden desk.
There seems to be a growing number of online and/or physical stores offering highly curated pre-owned and vintage pieces — besides Stil there’s Swimmers, Minor Works, La Nausée and Sinot, to name just a few. What they share is not just a strikingly similar aesthetic. Each of them also offer nothing you need. You don’t walk in there, or set your alarm to be in time for their latest drop, to find what you’ve been looking for. What they offer are clothes that you might want — clothes you hope existed or whose existence was unimaginable until you saw them existing right before your own eyes. A pair of running shorts is something you need when you go running. A pair of French linen sailor pants from the 1950s, say, is of a different category altogether. It’s something that offers itself to you as a (rather expensive) life possibility.
A few weeks after visiting their Amsterdam store I reached out to Stil, and when we finally met in person I learned that all pieces hanging on those neatly arranged racks came from the personal collection of Dutch-Indonesian filmmaker Bear Damen (1986), who — among many other feats — has directed music videos for the likes of James Blake and Mac DeMarco. We agreed on two things. First: I would have a conversation with him about his style, taste and favorite designers as well as about what it means to collect clothes — to own them without the intention of wearing them — why he decided to start selling part of his collection and how it feels to see that happening. Second: I would make a selection of a dozen or so items from Stil’s current offering, including pieces made available online exclusively to you, readers of these words. And these two things are exactly what’s to follow.
Bear, when did you start creating your collection? Or: when did you realize you’re creating one?
I’ve loved clothes for as long as I can remember. But I guess the origins of the collection trace back to my trip to Japan in 2015. I saw a lot of Carhartt, I fell in love with the quality of the fades, the aged canvas, and I decided to dig deeper. I soon found out that there are subtle differences between year and place of production, and before I knew it I only wanted Union Made pieces from the period 1974-81. Because of my work I often visited the Rose Bowl [a flea market in Pasadena, USA] and I also started ordering pieces on eBay — a lot of Carhartt, Mall Jackets from the 40s-50s, JC Penney, Big Mac, etc. It was a disaster, because our house was now stuffed with vintage workwear. I soon realized this had become somewhat of an obsession.
To this day, good vintage pieces are still my true love. A good fade is so difficult to obtain. I’ve lent, sold and rented out pieces to designers, and know that major brands like Ralph Lauren and G-Star spend huge amounts of money to reproduce the perfect fade — and yet, you always immediately spot the difference. My go-to spots are Safari in Koenji, Acorn in Osaka, and a couple others that I’d like to keep to myself.
I’ve combined vintage pieces with contemporary fashion more or less from the start. Like so many others, I went down the Reddit wormhole — 90s Prada, Girbaud and Helmut Lang, 80s Massimo Osti. Because such pieces are bit more difficult to find, it took more time for this part of the collection to take shape. These are also the clothes I tend to wear myself, though I do sometimes buy pieces that aren’t my size — just to enjoy the craftsmanship, colour or silhouette.
What’s the aesthetic glue that holds the collection together?
Simple, a bit understated; attention to details, especially seams; little nods to or conversations with predecessors. That’s the language that appeals to me. It’s also why I like Japan so much. The people there will point to a seam on your shirt or recognize a pattern or silhouette that references earlier designs.
I think there are actually quite a few contemporary brands that get this dialogue — brands like Our Legacy, Lemaire, Dries Van Noten. Others brands working more intuitively are often not for me, or much less so. That said, JW Anderson does reference the past, but in a way that doesn’t really appeal to me either — except perhaps for the Terra Vulca. Other than that, I appreciate Rick Owens’ and Junya Watanabe’s more quiet pieces.
My feeling is that there’s a collective need for toned-down clothes, clothes that only stand out to those who can hear what they have to say. Besides, I’m in my late 30s now and feel I can’t wear “loud” pieces anymore.
What made you decide to start Stil Archive? And do you ever regret that decision?
It was partly out of necessity. I still managed to store all pieces in labeled boxes in the attic, but realized it wasn’t sustainable. There’s simply too much.
The current brick and mortar store is an experiment. In a few months time we’ll evaluate how we feel about it as a team. Perhaps we’ll continue online-only. A good location in Amsterdam is quite expensive…
I rarely regret it when a piece gets sold. That’s mainly because I really enjoy the fact that it attracts people with a similar passion and perspective. It does happen that I walk through the store and rediscover a shirt or a pair of trousers — it may disappear for a week or so, but I always put it back eventually. The store now has only a fraction of the entire vintage collection on offer. There’ll definitely be more if we decide to continue, so stay tuned.
Here are my first few picks from Stil’s collection. Click on the titles to be redirected to the item’s page.
#1 Vintage Faded Distressed Purple Tee
A simple purple vintage tee with a nicely worn face, subtle distressing, and single-stitch construction throughout.
#2 Maison Margiela Carpenter Denim Pants
Maison Margiela ecru workwear pants with a straight cut, dual hammer loops and signature four white stitches with red detailing. This works nicely with the purple tee.
#3 Our Legacy Coco Shirt White
The ‘Coco Shirt’ comes in a lightweight cotton, with a crisp, flow-y feel. It’s a relaxed fit, with a classic collar and a button-down front.
#4 Vintage Carhartt Double Knee Pants
Stil have a lot of Carhartt double (and single) knees in stock — in different colorways and at different stages of disintegration. This one is pretty distressed, with minor dirt details, but not too much.
#5 Vintage 1980s Stone Island Polo Sweater
A vintage Stone Island polo-style sweater from the late 1980s. It features a chest pocket, button closure, and lettering on the back. But the highlight surely is the beautiful collar, whether you wear it up or down.
By way of a small thank you to those who’ve upgraded to the full experience, five more exclusive pieces from Stil’s collection, unavailable in their store and webshop: two Lemaire’s, a rare WW2 officer pant, an Italian denim shirt from Our Legacy, and a pair of trousers from the under the radar London-based brand Egg Trading.