Vogue’s guide to Beirut’s best vintage stores is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.
Beirut has long been on the fashion map—Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad, Sandra Mansour, Georges Chakra, need we say more? But it’s a city that’s also at the forefront of all things vintage fashion. Across the seaside town, you’ll find a variety of vintage, second-hand, and thrift shops to visit, from the label-laden GarageLuxe to the gorgeously curated vintage store Nouvelle Vague Vintage. And given Beirut is also known for its thriving nightlife—it needs to be experienced to be believed—there are shops like Depot-Vente filled with pieces to help get you dressed for the part.
Below, our guide to the best vintage stores in Beirut, curated with the help of our editors at Vogue Arabia.
Established in 2013, GarageLuxe describes itself as Lebanon’s first major online consignment network. A decade later, the company (which uses the term “re-commerce”) has expanded and opened a glossy brick-and-mortar in Beirut’s tony Achrafieh Mall. The resale platform is filled with labels and archival secondhand fashion (don’t expect too much “vintage”) from all the top labels—you’ll find Chanel, Hermès, and Dior bags galore.
Photo: Courtesy Nouvelle Vague Vintage
Set in Beirut’s nightlife quarter of Gemmayze, you’ll find a white neon sign calling you into Nouvelle Vague Vintage, which was founded by vintage collector Tatiana Fayad. The goal? To democratize vintage fashion across the Middle East—Fayad is never not picking merchandise for her store. Expect decades-old designer pieces that are incredibly well-priced and covetable. There is also no-label vintage from the ’60s, ’70s, and beyond that will tickle the fancy of any vintage lover.
Photo: Courtesy Depot-Vente
“Pls note we don’t buy clothes from individuals, and don’t accept items on consignment,” reads the Instagram bio of Depot-Vente. Read: This is not your typical re-sale shop. Founded in 2013 in Nawal Akl, Depot-Vente is a premiere vintage shop located in Beirut’s hip Mar Mikhael neighborhood. This depot-style store does indeed feel like a depot, only it’s stocked with vintage pieces from the ’60s all the way to 2000s. There’s a look that Akl also considered when sourcing her pieces—youthful club and party-ready pieces ready for a night out.
Address: Khalil Badawi, Beirut
Vintage Soul 101 isn’t in Beirut—it’s technically just north in Jounieh. It’s also not a vintage store, per se, but it’s still worth adding to a list of vintage stores since it carries both secondhand and upcycled pieces (bags, tops, and more) made from deadstock fabrics. You can find vintage fashion capital F (Givenchy blazers; Escada jackets), but the draw here is really the upcycled and pieced-together separates that mish fabrics together brilliantly.
Address: Vintage Soul 101, Sarba
Second Base is a charity thrift shop created in 2017 by FabricAID, one of Lebanon’s leading social enterprises, which collects and redistributes clothes to disadvantaged communities throughout the country. They fund their mission with the sales of their “vintage, hipster, revealing, and extroverted clothing items” out of a storefront in Beirut.
Address: Second Base, Beirut
Originally published in Vogue.com
