Maria, founder of Lila Archive, a curated designer vintage store that runs by appointment, styles the Black Orbit Necklace against pieces from her archive.
She has a firm rule about natural materials, an eye trained on the 90s and early 2000s, and a collection full of Cavalli, Lacroix and Moschino. I asked her a few questions and she told me about the one piece she'll never forgive herself for letting go.
I Love This, But It's Not Lila
What draws you to a piece when you're sourcing for Lila Archive? Is there a decade, designer or detail you find yourself gravitating towards again and again? The style of the brand evolved naturally from my own taste into an identity of its own. I now find myself saying "I love this, but it's not Lila," which I really like because I can separate the brand from myself.
I love recent vintage because it's recent enough that clothes don't necessarily stand out as super antique, but they give you that subtle retro feel. That's why I gravitate towards the 90s and early 2000s. I love the simplicity of 90s street style and the boldness of early 2000s runways. Designers I always gravitate towards are Cavalli, Lacroix, Sonia Rykiel, Stella McCartney in early Chloé, and Moschino. And the thing I really put the most attention to is materials. I've always been the shopper that checks every "made of" tag, and that's my number one condition for buying. I love silk, linens, cottons, wool, leather... nothing like natural materials to preserve a great pattern.
The Best Part of What I've Built
Lila Archive currently runs by appointment only, what's that experience like for the people who visit you, and where do you see it heading next? I find that, even though this format is not as common, people are really enjoying the idea of a calmer way to shop compared to pop-ups, and of entering the universe of the brand in a more intimate way. I love having the time to welcome each client personally and create a more personal shopping experience, so right now my focus is on developing the showroom-by-appointment format. Lila started with a pop-up at home in London, so interacting with clients in person and seeing the match between a piece and its new owner has been there from the beginning and is still the best part of what I have built. My dream would be for Lila to become a true vintage destination, with a permanent space that feels like a home for the brand and its community.
The Orbit Necklace Does the Talking
The Orbit necklace has a bold, sculptural shape with that black and pink contrast — how do you think about layering a piece like that against vintage, without one overpowering the other? I always talk about my favourite vintage pieces by comparing them to jewellery, as I believe they gain value when they become part of you, like when you see someone wearing a piece of jewellery over and over again in different ways. I love that versatility, and I can really see it in the Orbit necklace, which works just as well with a super simple summer outfit of white jeans and a tee as it does as the perfect accessory for a night out with a black dress and a blazer. I'm picturing it with a perfect beige Max Mara blazer that I have, where it really allows a bold piece like the Orbit necklace to take full protagonism and stand out.
The Pieces You Keep Coming Back To
Lila Archive is about designer vintage for the everyday wardrobe, not just special occasions — what does that mean to you personally, and how do you wear vintage day to day?
Feeling good about what we're wearing on a day-to-day basis is important, and I feel so excited about the idea of having a wardrobe that truly feels like an extension of who we are. I think having a few really special pieces that we keep coming back to helps us build everything else around them. Sometimes fashion moves so fast that we are pushed towards trends, and those garments don't really stick with us for long or play a role in our wardrobe. When I see someone choose a vintage piece from a rack, I can really see it's been a match. It somehow becomes an experience that helps you tap into your own taste. In my own day-to-day, I wear mostly vintage — a mix of a few basics and a few bolder pieces that work together and define my style.
One piece you wish you'd never sold? A shearling jacket by Christian Lacroix that I later found out was in Sex and the City — on Charlotte. Luckily a friend bought it. At least I get to hear she's complimented every time she wears it.
Dream person to wear a Lila Archive piece? It would have to be the queen, Leandra!