“AVANT: The Voices Behind Vintage Clothing” dives into the world of vintage style through exclusive interviews and striking photography.

Featuring voices like Christophe Loiron of Mister Freedom, Alessandro Squarzi of Fortela, and vintage queen Kathleen Schaaf, the book explores how military, workwear, and pop culture pieces shaped fashion across eras and continents.

A must-have for anyone passionate about style, history, and the culture of clothing.

A little over a year after the release of the issue dedicated to Stifel & Sons, AVANT is back with a new special edition titled The Voices Behind Vintage Clothing. This is not your typical issue, it’s a collection of exclusive interviews.

In this special issue of AVANT, over 50 collectors, dealers, historians, and lifelong enthusiasts share their personal connection to vintage clothing–the stories behind the fabric, the memories stitched into seams, the thrill of the hunt, and the quiet power of garments worn before us.

Each conversation is a window into a world where clothing is more than just style: it’s history, identity, rebellion, craftsmanship, emotion.

From dusty thrift shops to private archives, from rural France to the backstreets of Tokyo, these voices tell us why vintage matters. Why a faded chore jacket can feel like an heirloom. Why a pair of boots can hold a decade of someone else’s life. Why the past, worn well, still has something urgent to say. Why the people, also, has something to say about it.

Because, in the end, it’s all about people. Clothes may be the core, sure. But we’re the ones who carry them forward. We are the storytellers, the keepers, the stewards.

So, for this special issue, AVANT handed the mic to the voices from the vintage world. Each one was invited to share their stories, their memories, and their passion. To pass the flame.

VINTAGE DEALERS

• Christophe Loiron : Mister Freedom’s founder shares his journey, from France to the U.S., and his deep love for American clothing.
• Ross Kuhn : Over the past few years, the mind behind Daylight Vintage has become one of the leading figures in vintage and workwear in the United States.
• Kathleen Schaaf : As the Queen of vintage and founder of the Meow boutique, she naturally has countless stories to tell.
• Steven Vega : He has become one of the leading figures in California’s vintage scene. Based in Long Beach, Steven Vega runs Eveready Vintage.
• Joey Medina : If you're looking for cowboy boots, he's the one to see. The founder of Full Circle Vintage is simply the go-to guy for all things western.
• Jordan Peck : Most people know him by the nickname 'Idaho Jeans.' But behind the alias is a true denim enthusiast with plenty of great stories to tell.
• Melissa Howard : Every vintage lover passing through New York has stopped by her shop. She’s the founder of Stock Vintage, one of the strongest strongholds of vintage in the U.S.
• Arnauld Nejmann : After successfully opening a shop in the south of France, he has just launched KIS Paris, a vintage store right in the heart of the French capital.
• Akira Tsuchida : No introduction needed: the man behind Mushroom Vintage owns and sells some of the rarest workwear pieces on the planet.
• Jon Wood : He doesn't sell clothing, but furniture and antiques. And his interview is absolutely fascinating, a must-read.

COLLECTORS

• Cory Piehowicz : A renowned photographer, he shot many of the portraits featured in this issue. But above all, he’s a true vintage enthusiast who collects antique photographs of workers.
• Katsumi Yamashita : The aptly named ‘okakineko’ on Instagram rarely shows his face, but he loves showing off his denim collection. And what a collection it is.
• Victor Fredbäck : He recently released the film Denim Hunter, but more importantly, he owns one of the most stunning vintage denim collections in the world.
• Rikiya Kanamaru : The world’s biggest Wrangler collector shares how his passion for the brand first began.
• Wouter Munnichs : The founder of the online media Long John is a true denim enthusiast. There isn’t a single denim event that happens without him being involved.
• Maurizio Donadi : His vintage archives, carefully stored in a warehouse in Vernon, CA, make up one of the largest vintage collections in the world.

HISTORIANS & DESIGNERS

• Dean Hashimoto : This renowned professor turned a few years ago to the in-depth study of the world’s oldest jeans, as well as early examples of women’s workwear.
• Ricci Lau : He’s known as Denim Seeker. This workwear historian, based in Hong Kong, shares all his research and discoveries on Instagram.
• Akira Hasegawa : Passionate about French clothing, he enjoys taking apart vintage garments to understand their stitching, construction, and hidden details.
• Mohsin Sajid : He’s considered one of the leading experts on denim fabric. He’s dedicated his life to it and shares this passion with students every day.
• Bryan Shettig : The founder of The Rite Stuff is also passionate about the history behind clothing. He’s written many blog posts dedicated to it.

AND MANY MORE…

Michael Maker, Ployd Hirun, Antonio Di Battista, Thomas De Ambrogi, Keith Lo Bue, Gauthier Borsarello, Justin Steinke, Dudley Fournier, Erik Bill, Anna Elardo, Sacha Gliksman, Tomo Takizawa, Yoki Nemoto, Alessandro Squarzi, Cristian Murianni….

THE COVER

Renowned Western artist Mark Maggiori is also the older brother of Éric Maggiori.
He created the cover for this special issue of AVANT, with a pencil drawing depicting the faces of the book’s main characters.
This marks Mark’s third collaboration with the magazine, following his paintings The Stifel Suit (cover of AVANT #1) and Electric Desert (cover of AVANT #5).