As the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Moda Operandi, Lauren Santo Domingo is no stranger to the latest and greatest sartorial creations, but, as it turns out, she’s equally drawn to the world of vintage. "Even on the runway I look for things that are seasonless and I could wear for many years” muses Santo Domingo, who counts a 1960s Yves Saint Laurent safari dress (once worn by both Veruschka and Betty Catroux) as one of the most treasured pieces in her wardrobe. "With vintage, everything has stood the test of time. It’s the definition of timeless.”
Such a passion for seeking out rare and one-off finds dates back to her teenage years in Greenwich, Connecticut, when she would take the train into Manhattan in search of old Levi’s at Andy’s Chee-Pees, Trash & Vaudeville, and a handful of other East Village shops. "I remember reading in a magazine that Chloë Sevigny had donated all of her clothes to this one thrift store below her apartment, so I would always go there because I figured there would be good stuff... and there was!” she recalls with a laugh.
These days, with homes in Gramercy Park, Southampton, Paris, and Cartagena, the globe trotter’s shopping black book has expanded beyond downtown New York; she gets her glassware in Venice, linens from Portugal, and “everything else” in Tokyo. Here, from a Parisian flea market to an Italian jewelry bazaar brimming with heavy beads and chunky accessories, Santo Domingo shares her favorite vintage destinations across the world—plus, the Resee finds she’ll be adding to her virtual cart.
