From catwalk to charity shop: An expert’s guide to sourcing runway trends pre-loved

Trends are cyclical, and today’s “new” silhouette often echoes a collection from decades past. That means the pieces you need are already out there – on resale platforms, in charity shops, or tucked away in specialised vintage boutiques – waiting to be rediscovered. Enter the smart second-hand hunter: instead of paying full price and fuel-burning lead times, you can lift tomorrow’s trend straight from yesterday’s collection.

Few people navigate that hunt better than Yvonne Hammervold, the stylist-turned-curator behind Studio Septembre. Based between Stockholm and Paris, Hammervold combs European markets, archives and charity shops to assemble edits that marry Scandinavian restraint with a note of French romance. Her knack for spotting runway parallels (think a ’90s Prada slingback or a perfectly worn Carhartt chore jacket) has earned her a cult following of editors and design houses who rely on her eye for both trend relevance and long-term wearability.

Below, Hammervold breaks down the spring/summer ’25 looks you can source second-hand right now, shares the practical shortcuts she uses on buying trips, and makes the case for one leather jacket that will outlive any micro-trend.

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"If you’re new to vintage shopping, start with hard-working classics you’ll keep for years. I always look for trench coats, distressed or suede leather jackets, oversized men’s blazers and relaxed cotton shirts – pieces that show up in almost every good second-hand shop."

"The workwear jacket and brown suede from autumn/winter '24 still have legs. The demand on my Instagram proves it. I’m also gravitating toward oversized double-breasted blazers, plaid shirts, crisp white blazers, clasp-frame bags, blouson jackets and lightweight windbreakers."

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"Once I spot a runway trend, I go straight to the original source because almost everything has been made before. Think Carhartt for perfectly worn workwear jacket and Schott for leather flight jackets. And then there are archive pieces from the brands themselves, such as 1980s YSL for sharp double-breasted blazers or pointy 90’s slingbacks from Prada. Vintage lets you wear a full runway look days after the show, no six-month wait for pieces to finally hit the stores required."

"Make it a leather jacket. You have two clear routes: a smooth, oversized flight jacket with broad shoulders for a Saint Laurent vibe, or a brown distressed style that channels Miuccia Prada. Either way, it’s a forever piece that works with everything from denim to a floaty dress."

"If you’re a secondhand enthusiast, like me, of course you dream of finding that vintage Chanel piece at a really good bargain. But great finds aren’t always about a logo but about pieces you reach for again and again – like US-made Levi’s 501s with a perfect wash or a sturdy oversized denim shirt. That said, I treasure a pair of vintage Bally pumps I picked up in an Oslo thrift shop: comfortable heel, contemporary almond toe and a rich burgundy that lifts any outfit."

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"Head to the men’s section. Most of Studio Septembre’s stock started in menswear: the fabrics are often better, the cuts timeless and the tailoring solid. Look for natural fibres and inspect seams and linings for quality. Finally, try everything on. Vintage sizing is wildly inconsistent, and the perfect fit can hide on an unexpected hanger."