Senken Shimbun (Jan 6, 2026)
(Article published in the Senken Shimbun, January 6, 2026 – Takayo Matsui)
“Clothes are the memory of a life”
Penelope opens up a new vintage avenue
As the vintage craze continues to grow, the online auction house PENELOPE’S, founded last September by Pénélope Blanckaert, a well-known figure in the fashion auction world for over twenty years, is attracting increasing attention.
“Clothes contain the memory of someone’s life. What moves me in this profession is being able to get in touch with these stories,” she confides. Her voice reveals the passion for fashion that has driven her since her youth.
Passing on a way of wearing
Having cut her teeth at Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati, it was almost by chance that Penelope discovered the world of auctions – a decisive encounter.
” Being confronted with clothes actually worn by someone seemed immediately natural to me.”
PENELOPE’S uniqueness lies in its deeply editorial approach to auctioneering.
” Younger generations love vintage, but often hesitate about how to wear it. That’s why we offer silhouettes pairing these pieces with denim or sweatshirt, to make them part of a contemporary wardrobe.”
Pieces are never presented in isolation, but as looks in their own right, linking the past to the present. Documents, archive images and historical references also accompany the lots.
“When you understand how a garment was worn at the time, its perception changes completely.”
This curatorial approach applied to auctions explains the growing interest of a younger audience.
Digital as a gas pedal
Digitalization also plays a key role.
“We’ve entered an era where people bid from all over the world, through a screen. It was therefore essential that the photographs, the site and even the SEO be designed with fashion in mind.”
This attention to detail, difficult to achieve in traditional auction houses, encouraged Penelope to create her own structure. The pieces on offer range from the great luxury houses to creations by John Galliano or Alexander McQueen.
” Chanel and Hermès sell without explanation. But what interests us are pieces with meaning and context.”
Dior jewelry from the Hedi Slimane era attracted a large number of Japanese bidders, confirming the strategic importance of the Asian market.
A change in the way homes are viewed
Fashion houses are also changing.
“Rabanne has agreed for the first time to collaborate on an auction of his archives from the founder’s time. The idea that houses see auctions as an adversary is disappearing.”
For Penelope, the auction is no longer just a place for exceptional acquisitions, but a space where clothes can “live a new life”.
His vision redefines vintage, not as a simple resale, but as a transmission into the future. Clothes from the past begin to speak to the present again. PENELOPE’S is gradually establishing itself as a system for reactivating memory and meaning.
