Dita Von Teese's red-carpet dresses to the costumes of Mad Men

by liamssoft | March 11, 2013 at 09:04 am

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When music idol Adele wants to make a vintage fashion statement, stylist Gaelle Paul has a go-to source: the cleverly named The Way We Wore shop.

Now TV viewers can peek inside Los Angeles store owner Doris Raymond's 19th- and 20th-century collection that's lured shoppers Anne Hathaway, Katie Holmes and Angelina Jolie, as well as top designers searching for inspiration from the past.

L.A. Frock Stars, a Smithsonian Channel series debuting 8om. EST Thursday, is both a fashionista's delight and a chance to see passion at work with Ms Raymond, who's made finding and selling great old duds a quest for more than 30 years.

'The show is about spreading the gospel of vintage,' said Ms Raymond - which translates, for example, to a 1940s jacket with tailoring and fabric that would cost $1,500 to replicate today but can be had for less than $200.

Ms Rayond's tidy but chockful shop also has racks of impressive labels including Chanel, Versace, Halston and Gucci, and the stuff of fashion history like the first version of the Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress that launched the designer's career.

Those are found above-stairs at the shop, to be surveyed by VIPs and vintage mavens who also can ogle - or shell out for - such rare items as an intricately made Twenties dress priced at $6,000.