We love Pre-loved | Meet Tatiana Fayad, founder of Beirut-based acclaimed vintage store Nouvelle Vague

Tatiana Fayad, the co-founder of world-renown brand Vanina launched Nouvelle Vague in 2018, a pre-loved fashion platform that has now found a physical home in Beirut.
From vintage Gaultier to vintage Fendi and other treasures, Fayad managed to gather a crowd of loyal customers from Dubai to Beirut and worldwide thanks to an e-shop. JDEED Spoke to Fayad to know more about Nouvelle Vague.

Interview/Cynthia Jreige
This is an excerpt of a an interview published in JDEED issue 9

Hi Tatiana! Can you tell us a bit about you, where did your love of vintage clothes come from? When did you start Nouvelle Vague and what do you enjoy the most about it?

Nouvelle Vague is a passion project that was born from my love for vintage and the desire to share that love. It has long been a dream of mine and it finally came to fruition in 2018, when I have decided to launch a pop-up in my hometown (Beirut), and display my vast collection of vintage that I have been collecting over the years. I received such positive feedback and enthusiastic response, that it inspired me to start sourcing specifically for Nouvelle Vague, and launch my e-commerce website, with the aim to becoming the main online destination for vintage lovers in Lebanon but also in the region.
What I enjoy the most about Nouvelle Vague is to be able to inspire conscious consumption and celebrate style, while providing a more curated and elevated shopping experience to vintage and second-hand.

Are you sensitive to current issues the fashion industry is facing – sustainability in this case – and do you believe that vintage clothes are a great way to bring a solution?

With fashion being the second most polluting industry in the world, I really think that there’s a meaningful need for change. It’s not even a fashion thing anymore, it’s for the sake of the  planet, and it has to be that way. The future of fashion has to be vintage, up-cycled designs and rentals.

Do you have a fashion icon?

I don’t really have a fashion icon, but a lot of women designers in the fashion industry inspire me. Not only for their contributions to how we get dressed today, but for their concerns and influence in the fashion industry as a whole . The list is long, but the first names that come to my mind are Miuccia Prada, Stella Mc Cartney, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg and Phoebe Philo.

What do you usually look for when sourcing your pieces?

My stock isn’t led by one trend or style direction, but I try to source vintage fashion that is still relevant and wearable. I pick items that I think are beautiful, and that I would wear myself, so Nouvelle Vague is very much an extension of me and my wardrobe.

Do you remember a particular piece that really made your heart jump when you found it?

Over the past years, I’ve found some amazing pieces, so it’s very difficult for me to choose only one! But my favourites are always the lesser known designers and handmade pieces that are way superior in terms of tailoring.

Read the rest of our interview with Tatiana in JDEED issue 9, out now. You can discover more about Nouvelle Vague and shop it, right here.