AVANT is a French high-spec magazine that curates and celebrates heritage clothing, primarily North American workwear, western wear and military dress.
Created by expert and collector Eric Maggiori, the magazines function as anthologies, each focused on the evolution of a particular area of vintage clothing in the past, present and the future. Each bookish volume features a specially commissioned drawing or painting for the front cover. If you’re a fan or collector of vintage clothing and/or you’re aware of Japanese publishing on this subject, you’ll appreciate AVANT as another rich, well-researched and slightly different offering in this genre.
About the latest issue, 'The Voices Behind Vintage Clothing', from the publisher:
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.
