This feels like a very overdue post or a post that should never come to fruition because the subject at hand is such an obvious one. Arckiv holds one of the most extensive collection of vintage eyewear in London and is a stalwart establishment that in my eye, needs no introduction. It could just be my warped perception from having grown up wandering around Stables Market of Camden Town and stumbling upon this eyewear emporium where the feeling is you're going in there to research and marvel rather than browse as you would do in any other shop and perhaps knowing that Arckiv is just one of those 'taken-for-granted' names to call when it comes to vintage eyewear much like Rellik is over-quoted by everyone.
I had heard inklings of Arckiv's venture into menswear back in September when they did a small event at Stables. I never got the chance to go to Arckiv's Camden Stables to fully immerse into what creative director Fraser Laing has been doing over the past year which is furiously collecting up hundreds of museum quality militarywear rarities, workwear and 19th century dress costume. Seeing as this is strictly speaking menswear, albeit a genre that would engross any appreciator of historical minutae and sartorial details whether you are man or woman, I'll be leaving Style Salavage Steve to delve deeper into Arckiv once we make it to Camden.
In the meantime though, Arckiv have opened up a temporary outpost on Redchurch Street (50 Redchurch Street until 20th December), where a quiet gander could unsuspectedly turn into a spending fest if you're not careful. Laing has presented a tight selection of what his obsessive collecting has materialised into back at Stables so much so that I feel a little dumb talking about the smallish spin-off when really I should have just investigated to big real McCoy in Stables.
Still, Redchurch Street is worth popping in, to engage with Laing's love of carefully sourced military and workwear items that he feels are the missing link for men to 'feel' a connection with their clothing. Vintage clothing for men is a tricky avenue that I've never been able to immerse myself into because the field can be so shallow. I feel women who wear vintage far outweight men who do just because of sheer limitations on where you can buy highgrade quality mens vintage that isn't a crap jumper from the 70s-80s.
The obvious thing for Laing would have been to focus on vintage tailoring which places like Cornucopia did a fine job of doing but instead he chose ceremonial dress from the 19th century (tail coats, shirts etc…) and military/workwear that feels like there is actual historical weight to them as opposed to army surplus stores which sell recent deadstock. In the beautiful imagery that Archiv has produced with XiaoXiao Yu and Nina Walbecq, it shows some of the pieces being worn in a context that makes these 'museum' pieces have life and meaning in the present.
I love this selection of mens 'lingerie' – all cotton long johns and vests in shades of comfort-inducing cream…
The Redchurch Street outpost also allows Arckiv to signpost a service that I didn't know about beforehand – which is that you can order a pair of customised frames with much flexibility using a whole variety of shapes that Archiv have templated from their collection of specs and applying them to a range of celluloids which Laing has been buying up from factories, some of which are pretty much impossible to find now…
Some of the many shapes that are on offer with options for the 'temples' of the glasses (the side bits) to be shaped accordingly too… frames only (without prescription lens) can be made up for ¬£220, a special price I believe for the duration of the pop-up shop…
I had a bit of a magical time looking at the celluloids which of course take on a whole new life when seen through the light…
Some of you will know about my problematic spectacle wearing, something which Arckiv may solve once I force my opticians to give the a-ok to these specs… as opposed to laughing at my face last time I tried to get glasses that were mildly more interesting than the covnetional norm…
Arckiv also do some of their own glasses shapes, clearly inspired by the many many originals that their collection holds…
… a selection of which are also available at Redchurch Street
Like I said though, Arckiv needs an indepth investigative look, one that isn't just me gingerly looking at frames at their Stables emporium, because what lies above the ground space will probably send most lovers of costume detailing into a hyperactive frenzy.