November 12, 2026 |
Some collectors would describe themselves as traditional archivists, staunch custodians of cut, silhouette and design. Some are entrepreneurial in their outlook, building burgeoning businesses with a celeb-studded clientele. Some are tastemakers, drawing in fans who appreciate a style that’s taken years to hone.Today, the scene is messy, vibrant, connected, tense and contradictory, tied together by an unbridled, often obsessive commitment to fashion.
The collectors profiled in this piece are all different. They seek out different things and have different opinions, experiences and approaches that shape the ecosystem in a particular way. The question no longer seems to be whether fashion should be preserved – the emotional, cultural and commercial weight these pieces possess have proved that. Today, the question seems to be what happens when collecting gets thrust into the public eye and how that impacts the ways these collectors can utilise their skill and passion for it. Here, Ameli Lindgren shares her insights.
AMELI LINDGREN, Nordic Poetry
Charli xcx. Olivia Rodrigo. Gabbriette. Pink Pantheress. Name an internet It-girl or a pop princess and chances are they’ve popped into Nordic Poetry for a dress-up or slinked down a red carpet styled in a piece from its archive. Operating out of a physical shop in Shoreditch, East London, where customers can purchase pieces on the floor and rent from its exclusive archive, founder Ameli Lindgren has grown her business into one of the most recognised collections across the globe. With more than 100 pieces in the archive available only for rental and the rest selected season by season to sell in the store, Nordic Poetry strikes the perfect balance between vintage that elevates a daily wardrobe and archival pieces that equate to fashion artefacts. Some of the rarest pieces in Lindgren’s possession include a crystal-covered cigarette case from Tom Ford’s Gucci in 2004 or the crucifix face mask from Alexander McQueen’s AW96 Dante collection, which was inspired by Joel-Peter Witkin’s photography. Have a rummage through the peach-painted store and delight in the gems that await.
From left: Charli xcx and Gabbriette wearing pieces from Nordic Poetry
10: How did collecting start for you and when did it turn into something more structured that would become Nordic Poetry?
Ameli Lindgren: It started when I was a child. My mum used to say no to all the clothes I wanted. As a teenager, I was constantly thrifting and then I decided to set up a market stall. I started with £100 in my pocket and built from there. I always wanted to do more special pieces, but had to build towards that. At first it was branded vintage, then more mid-range pieces, and over the last five or six years I’ve been investing in archive. It all happened naturally over time.
Is the rental side now a major part of the business?
Yes, definitely. We’ve done rentals for the last four or five years, but in the last year and a half or two, it’s become incredibly busy. We only rent to celebrities, for red carpet events, or stylists, because it would be very difficult to rent rare archive pieces to the general public. Some of these clothes are incredibly delicate, rare and often impossible to replace. The rental side has grown massively, but it all has to be controlled in a very specific way.
Do trends influence what you buy?
I think instinct leads. You do need to know what people are wearing, of course. You have to be aware. But I don’t buy something because it’s trendy. What matters to me is how something sits on the body, the fabric, the structure – or whether it’s simply the perfect sexy black dress. It’s always about the feeling of the piece rather than whether everyone suddenly wants that specific thing. Trends exist, but they’re not the driving force behind what I collect.
Tish Weinstock wearing a piece from Nordic Poetry
Social media is obviously a big part of how Nordic Poetry communicates. Was attracting high-profile customers part of the strategy?
No, not at all. It’s not about attracting ‘it girls’. That was never the goal. It’s lovely when people like Olivia Rodrigo come in and appreciate what we do, but it wasn’t some masterplan. Social media has obviously helped us communicate what Nordic Poetry is and show the kinds of pieces we source, but celebrity attention wasn’t the objective. The focus has always been the clothes.
Have attitudes towards archive and second-hand fashion changed?
Absolutely. When I started, vintage was for a very specific kind of person. It wasn’t mainstream in the same way. There were a lot more assumptions around second-hand clothing. Now? It’s incredibly rare for anyone to say that. People understand quality more. They understand individuality more. And they understand that you can find something extraordinary in an archive or second-hand that you simply won’t find in stores now. The shift has been huge.
Crucifix face mask from Alexander McQueen’s AW96 Dante collection
What can a physical garment reveal that imagery can’t?
Construction. Fabric. Quality. The fabrics were so much better. You simply can’t find some of them anymore. You can see a photograph, but until you actually handle the garment, understand the fabric, understand how it’s built – it’s completely different.
Where do you think archival fashion is heading?
Strength to strength. There’s no real reason to keep buying endless new clothes. The beauty of archive is individuality. Shop less, but shop quality. More and more people understand that. If you can buy one incredible thing that lasts and feels special, why wouldn’t you? Archive offers something much more personal.
Photography courtesy of Nordic Poetry. Issue 77 of 10 Magazine – FUTURE, LEGACY, HERITAGE – is on newsstands now. Order your copy here.
