There may be nothing new in fashion anymore, but there’s still plenty fashion can learn from its past. Perhaps nobody knows this quite as well as Bob Melet, one of the world’s most knowledgeable vintage dealers...
There may be nothing new in fashion anymore, but there’s still plenty fashion can learn from its past. Perhaps nobody knows this quite as well as Bob Melet, one of the world’s most knowledgeable vintage dealers. In a vast treasure trove of a warehouse tucked away in the heart of Soho, NY, is Melet Mercantile, dubbed the “the showroom of showrooms” by The New York Times. Just about every inch of the 2,800-square-foot space is artfully covered with an ever-changing collection of rare vintage clothing and ephemera garnered from the far reaches of the globe, all carefully curated by Melet and grouped into what he perceives as the stories for the season. Says Melet of his eclectic approach, “My starting point is different every time, anything could inspire me – whether it be a photograph or a garment.”
With an impeccable pedigree that includes nine years as Ralph Lauren’s director of vintage buying, he set up Melet Mercantile six years ago, and since then his appointments-only showroom has become a goldmine destination for some of the most influential people working in the industry; from designers, creative directors, stylists and costume designers, all come seeking inspiration from these artefacts sourced from his extensive network of contacts and from his own trips to major auctions and shows around the world. With such an exclusive clientele, Melet prefers to act under the radar; declining most media requests and cagey when it comes to talking about his high-profile visitors. But press him on what drives him and he is passionate: “For me I like that there is a beginning, a middle and an end with each season. We put together stories and it’s inspiring seeing how designers respond to these pieces.”
Dressed in his regulation uniform of Wrangler shirt and Levi’s, Melet appears unconcerned with the seasonal highs and lows of fashion. “I live in my own mind,” he says. “I don’t go to retail malls, I don’t go shopping. I don’t pay attention to what is the ‘It’ item, I’m already 18 months ahead anyway so it doesn’t matter anymore.” Likewise, he’s also circumspect about what he sees as the ever-quickening pace of fashion with its pre-fall, pre-spring and cruise collections. “That’s the inevitability of the world we live in, people just want more and more. For me, that presents us with a challenge to create something different. To physically accumulate enough each season and present it.”
Ever the romantic, the unconventional rhythms of his nomadic lifestyle suits him to the core. “What I really love is travelling and immersing myself in different cultures,” he says. “I see myself as a musician; not a rock’n’roll star, but a working musician travelling 12 months of the year. It’s not for everybody but it works for me.”
Photography by Jennifer Karady
Read about another New York fashion insider, Andy Spade, talking about his favourite straw hat.
