Tab Vintage Is The Go-To Archival Source For It-Girls

It’s always impressive when a celebrity gets their hands on a custom designer creation or a fresh-off-the-runway look — especially if the piece just debuted on the catwalk a few days prior (hi, Emma Stone). However, this year, the A-list set is captivated by another sartorial feat — archival styling. Whether they’re hitting up a jam-packed press tour, the 2024 Met Gala, or indulging in a laidback vacation, these It girls can’t stop adding vintage staples to their rotations. Unsurprisingly, these looks only get more applause-worthy by the day, and there’s one buzzy hotspot to largely thank for that: Tab Vintage.

If you tuned into this year’s Met Gala livestream, kept tabs on the 96th Annual Academy Awards after-parties, or just follow Hailey Bieber on Instagram, you may not know it, but you’ve already spotted multiple looks from the Los Angeles-based shop within the last year. Most recently, at the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” fête, Emily Ratajkowski sourced Tab Vintage for both of her Met Gala moments, most notably, a sheer 23-year-old archival Versace gown that she wore on the carpet (more on that later). The retailer even made its way to the 2024 Oscars, when Cardi B attended the Vanity Fair after-party in another extremely rare Versace gown from 2003 complete with rhinestones, lace, and tassels galore. And more casually, back in November, Tab Vintage provided Bieber with a burgundy velvet Mugler midi dress, which she wore at her intimate 27th birthday party.

While it might be hard to believe given her star-studded clientele, Alexis Novak, the founder of the L.A.-based consignment studio, only started her business back in 2019. And now, four years later, she says the sourcing process still looks different every day. “Some days it’s digging through piles of junk at an estate sale and hoping to find a hidden treasure,” Novak tells TZR. “And other days, it’s participating in a European auction at 3 a.m.” Once Novak and her team secure these one-of-a-kind designs, they update their 120,000 Instagram followers by posting imagery of the original runway look. Novak adopted this strategy back in 2020 — within the first month of starting the brand’s Instagram — in an effort to give their customers a taste of the “history and integrity of both the garment and the designer,” she adds.

In the years since, this foolproof marketing tactic has caught the eye of countless celebrities, including Bella Hadid, Amal Clooney, Lori Harvey, and many more. Now, Novak is still incredibly active on IG, but she also uploads all her new arrivals to her website twice a month. Under each garment, Novak provides highly-detailed descriptions, including the exact designer collection it’s from, specific fabric contents, as well as its current condition, and any noteworthy embellishments. What’s more, beginning in July 2024, you’ll be able to shop Tab Vintage’s stock in-person at a studio in L.A.

Even as the brand’s customer base continues to reach new heights, Novak stays true to the same “slow fashion” values she established four years ago, which includes embracing patience, trusting her sartorial instincts, and taking as much time as she needs to prepare every ensemble for wear. “These pieces hold so much wisdom and took care, talent, and time to create,” Novak says. “Therefore, when I become the guardian of them, I take it very seriously and take a no corner-cutting approach to conservation.” And every time a star steps out in one of her cherished finds, there’s no denying Novak’s passion for preservation.

Emily Ratajkowski

About an hour into the 2024 Met Gala, Ratajkowski ignited the red carpet in the aforementioned archival Versace gown that looked good as new, thanks to Tab Vintage. For Novak, providing Ratajkowski with the sheer Autumn/Winter 2001 selection was a career highlight. “I worked closely with celebrity stylist, Jorden Bickhem to create this look and tell a story within the theme of the Gala,” Novak says. Unsurprisingly, Novak and Bickhem understood the assignment as EmRata’s first OOTN was adorned with a floral rhinestone motif — a clear callout to the “Garden of Time” dress code.

At an after-party a few hours later, Ratajkowski made headlines again in another Tab Vintage moment — a completely see-through mini dress courtesy of Givenchy by Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 1998. The mesh mini featured a beaded neckline and a shimmery fringe hem, while a black lingerie set peeked out from under.

Bella Hadid

Whether or not you purchased one of Hadid’s Ôrəbella perfumes, there’s a high chance one of the founder’s stellar press tour looks popped up on your IG timeline earlier this month. One piece in particular had the internet in a tizzy: her rose-colored Yves Saint Laurent midi dress originally from the Spring/Summer 1999 Couture collection. Fun fact: Novak says Hadid and her stylist Molly Dickson picked this design from Tab Vintage in order to mirror the ethereal vibes of her new fragrances.

Kylie Jenner

As vintage lovers know, getting your hands on an archival designer swimsuit is difficult, but not for Tab Vintage. Jenner purchased this Chanel Spring/Summer 1995 rhinestone-studded bikini from the L.A. studio and modeled it during her Turks & Caicos vacation in April.

Cardi B

While she skipped the actual Academy Awards this year, Cardi B made up for her absence by styling a stunning floor-length rhinestone gown from Versace Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2003. The rapper’s archival look started with a halter-neck bodice, and connected to a ruched lace skirt alongside a tassel-embellished train. “We acquired this gown from a Haute Couture client who had this incredible piece fitted to Cardi B’s exact measurements, which were serendipitously almost the exact same as the prior owner’s,” Novak says.

Hailey Bieber

Back in November, a week before she turned 27, Bieber shared her first of many birthday ‘fits with her 52.4 million IG followers, which she bought from Tab Vintage. The Rhode Skin founder was a vision of Old Hollywood glamour in a red velvet Thierry Mugler Couture gown circa Fall/Winter 1998.

Lori Harvey

Given she was invited to the world premiere of Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, it comes as no surprise that Harvey pulled out all the stops with her OOTN. She worked with Tab Vintage to obtain this high-neck LBD topped with shiny vertical panels from Thierry Mugler Couture’s Fall/Winter 1989 collection. “The dress code was ‘Cozy Opulence,’ and we, along with her stylist Jill Jacobs, thought this look perfectly embodied that theme,” Novak says.

Amal Clooney

While this nude Fall/Winter 2000 Christian Dior by John Galliano dress seemed right up Clooney’s alley, Novak said this lace and tulle midi was actually a last-minute addition to her 2023 Venice Film Festival rotation. Even though she doesn’t work with a stylist, Clooney styled this striking number like a pro with metallic silver Aquazzura pumps and a slew of bling from Cartier.

Olivia Rodrigo

Unfortunately, Rodrigo was noticeably absent from this year’s Met Gala. However, at an after-party following last year’s “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” affair, the “Obsessed” singer styled a sequin mini dress from Chanel Fall/Winter 1994 originally designed by Lagerfeld. Novak said the goal was to stay true to both the theme as well as Rodrigo’s signature aesthetic — and with its black satin bow and the ruffled lace neckline, there’s no doubt the mini did just that.

Sydney Sweeney

For the 2022 GQ Men Of The Year Awards in Madrid, Sweeney teamed up with her longtime stylist, Dickson and sourced this green satin Gianni Versace Couture Fall/Winter 1995 Couture gown from Tab Vintage. She let the dress grab all the worthy attention and opted out of any extra accents.

Kendall Jenner

While promoting the first season of Hulu’s The Kardashians back in 2022, Jenner looked business-chic in a vintage gray skirt set from Givenchy. Her pencil midi skirt and peplum blazer are authentic Fall 2007 Couture pieces that perfectly aligned with Jenner’s penchant for elevated neutrals.