About Us

 

Welcome to My Runway Archive

My Runway Archive is a site where you can find some of the rarest vintage designer garments to buy and rent. 

The store is open to everyone and ships worldwide.

Inside the Archive you will find museum quality runway pieces. Rentals are London based and open to industry professionals for shoots, special events, editorials and campaigns. All the store items still in stock are also available to rent through the archive. Please contact us at myrunwayarchive@gmail.com for inquiries or for a quicker response on the instagram page @myrunwayarchive

 

The story behind My Runway Archive

My Runway Archive was set by me, Christelle McCracken a vintage fashion collector in 2021.

The store was set up memory of my father, Michael John McCracken who was a arts salesman and antiques extraordinaire with a antiques shop in Brighton. Michael passed away on the 25/07/2020. Michael's eye for antiques and rare collectable items was passed on to me in the most unexpected way. Having researched my family tree I found out that my 5th great paternal grandfather was a 'A Marine Store Dealer' which is defined as "a licensed broker who bought and sold used cordage, bunting, rags, timber, metal and other general waste materials". Down the generations the family then embarked on the fashion industry as drapers and eventually Michaels grandfather became a milliner who set up a hat shop in Henrietta Place, Marylebone, London. I was excited to learn that all previous generations had some link to fashion and resale of second hand items, be it rags or antiques and knew in my heart that it was in my blood to carry on the family trade and update it for the 21st century. 

I started buying vintage pieces at eight years old in the vintage shops of the lanes in my hometown, Brighton. I remember being obsessed with 60s outfits including a pink baby doll dress that soon became my favourite piece. In 2015 I  started to become frustrated that the pieces I wanted to buy could not be found in the high street as they were too ahead of the time. The only way I could find these pieces was by looking at past collections and buying second hand. I worked out that there is nothing new that hasn't been done before. One trend in particular that I predicted was the metal mesh trend. I managed to find a vintage Versace dress made from this material in 2015. Two years later Donatella sent the 90s supermodels down the runway in an updated metal mesh collection for Versace. 

This eye for predicting and finding future fashion trends was confirmed when I  started buying vintage Galliano for Dior in 2017. I started buying iconic pieces from the Dior Spring 2000 show which saw the launch of he saddle bag and saddle halter. One year later Dior re-released the saddle bag and the trend took off. I am constantly looking to past runway seasons to predict the trends of the future. The store launched on 25th July 2021, one year after the passing of my father and is in memory of him, Michael John McCracken, 10th June 1946 - 25th July 2020.

 

 

 

Sustainability

My Runway Archive is passionate about protecting the environment and ending fashion waste and pollution. In 2018, around 350,000 tonnes of clothing was sent to landfill, a staggering figure.

MyRuway Archive puts Sustainability at the heart of everything they do by:

a) only selling Preloved garments;

b) only selling items that are so special you will want to wear them again and again; and

c) offering an archive service for clothes rentals