American in Marseille: American Vintage Celebrates 20 Years in Style


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Reserved spent the week with the heritage brand American Vintage, jetting their way through a yearlong world tour to commemorate twenty years as an arbiter of elevated basics. Surprised daily by the lot of treats AMV had in store (both literally and figuratively), we indulged in a cornucopia of LA’s greatest offerings from branded food carts — cold pressed juice, Cha Cha matcha, smoothies, churros and lemonade, an appetizer of Saturday’s culminating event. Like an ice cream social with a red carpet, the AMV experience is demarcated first and foremost by the organic luxury of camaraderie that resides in their DNA. The SS25 collection debuted alongside this string of pop-ups reinvents AMV mainstays, retrospective of what they have done right for so long and invigorating the brand for a steady sprint toward subsequent decades of timeless cool.
American Vintage, still helmed in Signes— a quaint town a few miles from Marseille—has since gone global without straying far from its founding commitment. The brand’s CEO, Michaël Azoulay, has remained deeply committed to preserving the seedling concept from which American Vintage sprouted: accessible luxury basics by the sea, fit for the whole family. Some would argue that this demographic— a global community of creatives, professionals, dreamers young and old— is just as cozy nestled in Venice as they are in the brand’s native Marseille. Mirrors of one another and oceans away, celebrating twenty years with a Los Angeles seaside blowout bash just makes sense. 
AMV’s messaging goes beyond fit models performing a front-side-back rotation. For decades, the brand has communicated its authenticity through its editorials, emphasizing wearability by photographing real people going about their real lives. Taking this application one step further, the brand’s 20 year capsule collection debuted via dance troupe, exhibiting bold emblazoning across gently colored crew necks and the evident movability of their branded ecru denim. Onlookers sipped cocktails provided by LALO Tequila and Copalli Rum, and nibbled on the culinary manifestation of American Vintage’s international DNA: bites from bratwurst to poke were supplied by Create Hospitality. Twee & Izy spun tracks nightlong, fueling a festive reverie for LA’s style set. Influencer Rocky Barnes rubbed shoulders with Love Island’s Eyal Booker, all arriving to support this milestone for their favorite closet staple.
It is immediately clear upon entering the boutique on Saturday night that American Vintage is celebrating 20 years not to gloat about making it this far and this long in an increasingly crowded subsection of design; not to throw money at activations for empty-behind-the-eyes press photos, jockeyed for nightlong at a winding-line step-and-repeat. For an entire year, spanning Shanghai, Marseille, London, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles, American Vintage is fêting for the joy of the community, for the pride they have in cultivating such a collection of individuals. The brand’s investment in universal quality, sustainability, and versatility has amassed a cult following, evidenced in the genuine joy evading their newest Los Angeles outpost. Abbott Kinney aglow, guests alight in each other’s company and hold genuine conversations, rarer than one would want to believe in today’s event-driven space. They muse on life and love, in addition to the lovely pastels and textures that dot the newly released SS25 collection. Live screen printing of the by TRIAAANGLES gives life to the pieces, capturing in time an evening of collaboration, conviviality, and sartorial success stories. As attendees tawdled to local favorite The Butcher’s Daughter for an invite-only afterparty illuminated by errant street lights and one another’s laughter, it’s clear that no matter the locale, American Vintage is always a local.
By Delaney Willet