Second coming

In the mid-90s, Victoria Barber was living in New York with her husband and two young children when she noticed a trend of preloved clothing boutiques popping up around downtown Manhattan.

The preloved clothing scene was on the cusp of becoming mainstream and the new boutiques gave customers a completely different experience to traditional thrift stores. Instead of the treasure-hunt vibe of cluttered op shops, the boutiques were beautifully merchandised and well curated, offering upmarket pieces in mint condition. 

Barber had always loved luxury brands, but with a young family and living overseas, she couldn’t afford to pay full price. The preloved market made luxury items more accessible, and though ‘sustainability’ was still years away from becoming a buzzword, the encounter changed her approach to fashion retail forever.

“Something clicked when I saw those cute little boutiques in New York,” she says. “I realised it was the best way to shop as a consumer. The idea of giving garments a new lease of life, and that quality pieces were timeless, really impacted on me.”

Barber had a well-established career in hospitality, having owned Tabac restaurant in Darlinghurst and she had managed restaurants during her time in New York. But she also had a passion for fashion that was sparked in Tokyo, where she lived for a year in the mid-80s and experienced the way fashion is lived and breathed through the sub-cultures of avant-garde dressing. 

After a three-year stint in Manhattan, Barber and her family returned to Sydney. She continued fossicking for preloved clothes and would pop into Di Nuovo on William St which, when it opened three decades ago, was one of the first consignment stores in the city. 

When the original owner decided to sell the store, Barber seized her opportunity to transition from customer to curator. 

“The shop had such good bones. It was in this beautiful old building, in a great location and I could see the potential for growth and improvement based on what I had seen overseas in New York and Japan,” she says.

One thing she decided not to change was the name.

“Di Nuovo is Italian for ‘again, anew, once more’. It’s always a good talking point with customers and we hear plenty of strange pronunciations. To this day people still think my name is Di.”

Since taking over the business 17 years ago, Barber has noticed a dramatic shift in people’s attitude towards recycled fashion.

“There’s no judgment around preloved clothes anymore,” she says. “People really see the value in turning over their wardrobe rather than hoarding clothes or contributing to landfill.”

The store continues to operate on a consignment model, creating a win-win for customers who can invest in quality pieces, and the sellers, who often end up making a purchase when they drop off pieces to consign. Barber herself is mindful about balancing what’s coming in with what’s going out of her own wardrobe.

“I now make sure every time I buy something from the store, I bring in something from home to consign [in its place],” she says.

With the global shift towards sustainable shopping rapidly gaining momentum, resale fashion is predicted to be a major player in retail in 2022, putting the 'Paris end' of William St decades ahead of the curve. It’s a position Barber is proud to be in.

“I love that we’re at the forefront of this movement and that Di Nuovo has been doing this for 30 years.”

As more consumers wake up to the reality of fast fashion and the impact of waste and landfill, Di Nuovo’s customer base has expanded to include much younger generations. She believes the pandemic has played a key role in shifting consumer mindsets and the necessity of an online presence has given the store a new dimension and range of clients outside Sydney. 

Barber considers the rise of preloved platforms and online stores less as competition than as an opportunity for more people to curate their wardrobe consciously.

“Hopefully it changes people’s attitudes to style and what can be achieved outside the normal preconceptions of shopping.”

And for any customers venturing into the preloved market for the first time, her advice is both considered and timeless. 

“Like anything else, it’s worth spending a bit extra on quality. Invest in an incredible handbag you can use every day, not just for special occasions, and buy what suits you rather than what’s in fashion or what brand has more cachet. I have dresses from 15 years ago that I am still wearing today,” Barber says.