A walk through vintage Malasaña
Each and every person walking through the streets of Malasaña presents a different color. Sometimes, they display shades of 2000s Adidas sportswear. Others, they shine with timeless leather clothes. And of course, we will see plenty of the fashion of the 80s when we walk through Madrid’s city center. In Malasaña we can find almost anything, especially when it comes to alternative fashion. Indeed, this charming neighborhood provides countless possibilities when it comes to vintage shopping, and we will go through some of them.
Flamingos Vintage Kilo was the first Spanish boutique selling unique vintage products from the United States. There we can find clothing from the 70s, 80s and 90s sold by weight—that is, by the kilo. There lies its main novelty. Flamingo Vintage Kilo stands in one of the most crowded vintage store streets in Malasaña: the street of Espíritu Santo. However, it is not the only store of the boutique. Its headquarters are based in Texas and there are more than 20 Flamingos Vintage Kilo stores throughout Spain.
Altogether with Espíritu Santo, the street of Velarde is one of the most popular vintage shopping areas in Malasaña, and Mona Checa stands out as one of the most typical stores there. Its entry resembles the entrance of a circus, and that is precisely the theme of Mona Checa. Nevertheless, inside the store we will not find beasts or clowns, but eye-catching sunglasses and shirts from another time, all second-hand.
Still in the street of Villaverde, we will find Magpie, another trending vintage store in the area. Once again, we are talking about second-hand clothing and accessories from different decades. Thus, shoes, sweaters and bodices mix up with earrings, backpacks and belts.
15 December 2016. Arantxa Martínez de Lucas, the owner of the vintage store called Williamsburg, will probably never forget the day a Hollywood star entered her small store: it was no less than Sarah Jessica Parker. In fact, the renowned actress bought a black dress in Williamsburg, which she wore in the HBO party that was held in Spain that same year. Naturally, that gave a popularity boost to the store, where Arantxa sells exclusive clothes she personally selects.
Moving out of Velarde, we will head to the store called Chopper Monster in the street of Corredera Alta de San Pablo. This place could be considered some kind of rock and roll song, where vinyl records, furniture, fanzines and books mix up with clothes we will not find anywhere else. This time, the clothing is not second-hand, but it comes from small businesses from all over the world.
Popland has been in the street of Manuela Malasaña since 1999. In this case, it is not a clothing store, but a gift shop. Cups, stationery, wallets, and action figures are some of the products we will find in this retro store. If it has not closed for so long, it must mean something.
In Santa Bárbara, 9, we will find the store Amores Eternos. Just like its owner, Cristina Ortega, said on Spanish TV, they sell “clothes that deserve to be loved forever”. The products we can find there vary from plates to coats, and they are carefully selected. Indeed, Ortega travels the world to find them. “They are classified by decades, starting in the 40s”, she claimed on TV.
