FOR THE Glass Archival Fashion Collectors series, we spoke to some of the most influential collectors from across the world to hear more about how they started their collection, the purpose behind it, and their take on the ever-growing industry. Today, we focus on Davil Tran who collects Issey Miyake, Comme Des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto and Undercover
Davil Tran and a selection of his Issey Miyake, CDGH, Yohji Yamamoto, Undercover finds
As a collector of instantly coveted Japanese brands, Davil Tran fittingly began his collection with a vintage Comme des Garçons Homme [CDGH] green cargo jacket from the ‘90s. “I think what drew me towards it was the simplicity and quality in the design. After that, I had the chance to own one of their original staff coats from their AW95 show. Owning these pieces eventually snowballed into more CDGH pieces, which I had an affinity for finding”.
Building upon his love of Rei Kawakubo’s designs at CDGH, Tran soon familiarised himself with the works of fellow Japanese designers, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Undercover. Scouring the internet for the best pieces, he sourced the majority in Japanese online marketplaces before moving his focus to collector’s homes. “Hearing about collector’s other obsessions aside from clothes, since a lot tend to own really cool things, was interesting. I think clothes just brings enthusiasts together.”
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Through his research into Issey Miyake, Davil Tran was introduced to Issey Sport, their defunct line from the ‘80s. With very little information online, Tran sifted through old Japanese publications to find any shred of information he could get and eventually he was obsessively collecting Issey Sport in any way that he could. This inspired him to start taking archiving more seriously, and before he realised it, he was swimming in clothes. The internet unlocked this opportunity, he tells me. “It really opened the gate to what fashion had to offer outside of what’s currently trending. The internet allowed people to research brands that existed even before their time and to come up with their own conclusion on what they want to wear.”
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The journey to finding these items was what was really important to Tran. His accumulation of clothes, however, became not so enjoyable, and eventually, Tran decided he wanted to begin selling his collection. Starting a profile on Grailed under the name “God”, Tran was soon one of their top sellers with a community to match. So much so, that his expertise secured him a full-time position on the Grailed team. “Collecting had a huge impact on my life, I met a lot of my friends through clothing, as well as determining my career. Reselling clothes made me appreciate the history behind each item and through my obsession, I was able to land my job at Grailed”.
At Grailed, he tells me, “I am able to surround myself with incredible clothes and friends who share my same interest”. Last year, Tran scheduled an estate sale of his most lusted pieces on Grailed. Ranging from the Undercover SS10 Rare Multi-Color Scab Backpack to the Issey Miyake AW96 Parachute Cargo Bomber MA-1 Jacket worn by Robin Williams at the 1997 Flubber premier as well as Playboy Carti for the music video of hit track Magnolia, the sale was promoted on HypeBeast, Renowned.La and across social media.
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Now Tran only has a selection of his favourite pieces, holding on to the more utilitarian of the range. “Living in NYC, which has the extremes of all seasons, I have to keep my clothes in rotation throughout the year.” But his buying days are not behind him, as he admits, “some of my pieces are recently purchased, such as this KAPITAL jacket I just got … it’s a Sashiko Century Denim fabric!” Today, Davil Tran is better known for his “meme brand” and parody clothing line Vetememes, which has seen him get exposure from leading publications. Tran’s ultimate fashion moment, albeit self-proclaimed, is when “The New York Times wrote about Vetememes and asked Demna [Gvasalia] if [Vetements] would sue me and he said, ‘no Vetememes is cool’”. “I truly appreciate what clothes have done for me” he concludes.
by Lily Rimmer