Six cool vintage stores

In Chanel & Co with a clear conscience

Vintage stores have always been stomping grounds for fashion maniacs. Today, when circular economy is the order of the day, they are more fashionable than ever. If you're a stickler for style and have made environmental awareness a way of life, this is where you buy the 'new' looks. Are you looking for a Gucci ski jumpsuit from the 90s? Or would you prefer a 70s Adidas tracksuit like the one Gerd Müller once wore? Whether you go on the hunt or let yourself be surprised while browsing through the decades - Secondhand has it all. And every day anew. In fact, the selection here changes even faster than in fast fashion.

Strike Wardrobe

The name says it all. Nils Peter, Daniel Bayen, and Michael Fabritius hit it big during their time at Corona. Strike is the name of the vintage store that the three school friends launched within a few months. Apparently, the young shooting stars hit a nerve with their well-curated selection of sporty basics. The bestsellers on Bilker Brunnenstraße are: Levi's jeans, sweaters from Nike and Adidas, and T-shirts. The fact that their clothing is not only cheaper, but their business model is also sustainable, is particularly close to the trio's hearts. Absolutely fitting: After shopping, it's time for old-school coffee and cake at Café Süße Erinnerung.

Not-A-Shop

Stresemannstrasse has become an axis of good in recent years. Fancy bridal wear, Korean cuisine, young street art and no less than three hip hairdressers can be found on the stretch between Charlottenstrasse and Oststrasse alone. So the Not-A-Shop is in the best of company. The two Italian-born brothers Lucio and Massimo Lupacchini, who moved to the Rhine from South Africa, have put together a small but fine selection of colorful vintage fashion here. Bright yellow, grass green and fire red - it's the clear colors from the '70s, the kind Lucio and Massimo like to wear in their native Cape Town, that now enrich the Düsseldorf streetscape. Let the sunshine in!     

The Vintage Store

Sometimes it's a comprehensive selection of ski sweaters from the 1950s, sometimes a whole range of futuristic Pierre Cardin dresses, sometimes a dozen of the typical Chanel tweed jackets. The display windows of The Vintage Store on Bilker Allee, styled down to the smallest detail, bear eloquent witness to what is slumbering in the warehouses. A lot of it, in fact. That's what makes browsing at The Vintage Store so productive. Because if you've got your heart set on a certain piece or look, there's a good chance you'll find what you're looking for. And in a size that fits and a color that suits you. Bring time!

Mae's Second Hand de Luxe

Jil Sander, Armani, Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent - Mae Würth is a luxury vintage pioneer from the very beginning. She has been selling second-hand luxury fashion for 40 years, an idea she brought with her to Düsseldorf from New York. Mae's enthusiasm for big designer names is no coincidence. In her former life, she managed the Jil Sander boutique on the island of Sylt, and worked in Berlin and Hamburg for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino. Thanks to long-standing relationships with friends of high-end designer fashion, the flow of well-preserved fashion treasures never stops at her store. One could not wish for a more elegant selection and more competent advice. 

Couture 2nd

Have you been dreaming of a Chanel handbag for a long time? Then maybe now is the moment to make this dream come true. And without you having to make a small inheritance. At Couture 2nd in Düsseldorf's Carlstadt district, one worn designer dream is lined up after the next. In addition to creations from the house of Chanel, including of course some from the pen of the maestro Karl Lagerfeld, many Hermès designs are also waiting here for new lovers. The look is classically elegant: tweed jackets, skirts, suits, belts, pumps and scarves - and of course a large selection of the 'little black dress', the timeless, deadly chic sheath dress for which Coco Chanel became famous in her day. Once the designer dream has come true, pure joy is the order of the day. The eponymous patisserie across the street has the best cupcakes in town. The crowning glory, so to speak!  

The Mintage

Renewed all around! A fresh breeze is blowing in one of the city's oldest secondhand stores, the former Vintage Paradise. The half-Japanese Janice Geelen has taken over the store on Wallstraße and presents here a very personal mix of classic, kitsch and kimonos. The latter in particular are extremely sought-after at Mintage, as they are beautiful old examples from Japan. Around it there is an almost all-encompassing selection - from hair clips to men's suits - carefully selected by Janice. She sources classic vintage goods from the 60s to the 80s from the U.S., but much of it also comes from private individuals. A hundred meters down the street, Rolf Buck is waiting for lovers of secondhand furniture and furnishings in his store Vaseline.

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism