For years, secondhand and vintage culture wasn’t widely embraced in Yerevan, largely due to cultural misconceptions that linked it to financial hardship and poverty. Yet, these attitudes have transformed, as vintage fashion evolved from a taboo to a celebrated fashion movement.

The city’s younger generation has revived interest in vintage fashion, motivated by a commitment to sustainability,  environmental consciousness, or the appeal of creating unique wardrobes. This cultural shift has sparked a rise of vintage shops across the city. In this article, I’ll guide you through the city’s must-visit vintage spots.

Founded by Masha Gevorgyan in 2018, Studio Antiquus was the first vintage store in Yerevan. 

Inspired by her father’s extensive collection of glasses, she began her own small collection “It was from these glasses that the shop’s story began,” says Masha.

The name Studio Antiquus translates to “Vintage Studio”, emphasizing their collection’s focus on pieces from the past century. 

Masha personally handpicks every piece, sourcing exclusively from Japanese and American auctions. Whether it’s watches, bags, or accessories, her goal is to find the rarest and most exceptional items. While she doesn’t focus on a specific fashion era, their collection predominantly features pieces from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.

Beyond the showroom, Studio Antiquus participates in local markets and events, collaborates with other stores to connect with local vintage enthusiasts, and showcases its collection to a wider audience.

“Sustainability is at the core of what we do,” explains Masha. “The environmental impact of fashion is a global concern, and our store is committed to recycling and reusing high-quality items. Beyond sustainability, vintage fashion is also a smart investment—timeless pieces that hold both history and value.” 

She acknowledges that Armenia’s vintage scene is still developing, and many people remain hesitant about second-hand fashion due to cultural perceptions. While changing this mindset will take time, Studio Antiquus remains committed to shifting perspectives and growing vintage culture in Armenia.

True to its name, this vintage store is located in one of Yerevan’s street garages, blending urban charm with timeless fashion.

The idea was born out of both necessity and passion in late 2022 when Argenika Burmistrova, the original founder, moved from Moscow to Yerevan. Starting with just a pair of pants and a handful of jackets from her travels, she unknowingly began building what would become her vintage collection. These pieces inspired her to create a space where carefully curated vintage items could find new homes. Her vision went beyond retail—she wanted to create a cultural hub where fashion, art, and sustainability would intersect.

The name is also a nod to the underground ethos of sustainable fashion, where people reimagine and reinvent styles rather than conforming to fast fashion trends, explains Sveta Stepanyan, the current owner.

A key challenge in opening the vintage shop was curating the right selection—sourcing high-quality vintage pieces while seamlessly incorporating Armenian artisan products like handcrafted ceramics and jewelry. Through a strong vision and dedication, the shop took shape, becoming a space that integrates handpicked vintage items with local artisanal works.

Sveta sees growing interest in vintage fashion in Yerevan, especially among environmentally conscious younger generations. Yet challenges remain, including the older generation’s misconceptions and fast fashion’s dominance. Undeterred, Rage Garage is helping push this movement forward not only through selling vintage clothes, but also through community education. The shop hosts lectures and workshops on sustainability, eco-fashion, and vintage styling, while fostering collaborations with Armenian designers and artists. Through these efforts, along with pop-up events and vintage fashion markets, they’re successfully bridging local craftsmanship with vintage aesthetics.

Frip, one of the newest vintage stores in Yerevan, opened its doors in December 2023. Its founder, Milena Vartanyan, grew up in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she was exposed to secondhand culture early on. Her love for curated vintage pieces deepened during her travels abroad, inspiring her to open up her own store. The shop’s name, “Frip,” comes from the French word “friperie” (meaning thrift store), chosen for being memorable, brief, and reflective of the project’s essence.

”Each vintage project based in Yerevan is quite different but beautiful in its own way,” Milena says. “What matters is growing the vintage culture together, collaborating, sharing audiences, and helping more people appreciate the beauty of vintage.” 

Frip doesn’t believe in limiting style to a specific era, as the magic lies in the mix, combining different periods, designers and brands to create something unique. 

From vintage Carhartt collections to runway Dior sandals, they maintain a diverse selection where customers can find everything they need.

Milena believes that these projects should do more than sell clothes, they should create spaces where people can reflect on their consumption habits, regardless of the outcome. Despite stereotypes about secondhand items, Frip is dedicated to the local community, working to change perceptions gradually. 

Though relatively new, Frip actively hosts block gatherings and pop-up markets in collaboration with other local businesses. These partnerships extend beyond vintage clothing to include new wine brands, bookstores and more.

Situated in Art Kvartal, in one of Yerevan’s most historic locations, Antarber Vintage was established in 2020, long before the area became the cultural hub it is today. Founded by couple Lara Sirekanyan and Marat Alexanyan, the shop’s initial vision was to make unique clothing more accessible. Though they first considered opening a rental service, the concept evolved into curating a vintage collection. 

“I’ve always had a passion for hunting down vintage pieces,” Lara recalls. “I’d often wear my mother’s and grandmother’s clothes, making small adjustments to them. People began noticing my style and frequently asked where they could find similar pieces. That’s when the idea first came to us.”

During their first year, Antarber operated online, with the couple converting their guest room into a showroom for private viewings. This intimate setting, where customers could browse clothes, drink coffee, and just hang out, fostered new friendships and sparked exciting collaborations, including styling for TV shows, theaters and fashion shoots.

Antarber collection strikes a balance between designer pieces and no-name brands from the 1960s to the 2000s, with prices that make the store accessible to everyone.

The store takes pride in its unique, eco-friendly handmade packaging; Lara personally sews each bag herself using recycled materials. She also offers personalized styling services, helping clients discover their personal style and find pieces that complement their existing wardrobe. 

Lara believes the local community has embraced vintage fashion, especially in recent years. When she first started, many people were unfamiliar with vintage clothing; some were even shocked to learn about selling pre-worn items. Today, attitudes have shifted. People now understand vintage fashion’s value and why these pieces can sometimes be more expensive than mass-produced fast fashion.

She champions vintage and second-hand for two key reasons: it is good for the environment and it offers styles unavailable in today’s mass market. Lara notes that even established contemporary brands once produced higher-quality items with superior prints, designs, and tailoring, qualities largely absent in today’s mass-produced fashion.

Antarber collaborates with other local brands in their shop, and recently launched Hum sub-brand of upcycled bags. Through Hum, Lara transforms vintage materials and prints to create bags with a futuristic aesthetic.

More than a vintage shop, Nastroenie Super is a concept store offering a curated vintage selection while showcasing zero-waste production and featuring clothing and pieces from other sustainable designers. Located next to one of the hippest bars in town, Esthetic Joy Embassy, the space is impossible to miss with its striking pink-painted garage doors on Sarmen Street.

With a deep passion for fashion, the founder, Anya, gradually became aware of the industry’s excessive waste. Having worked as a stylist for ten years, collaborating with both mass-market and high-fashion brands, she discovered firsthand that while their quality levels were similar, they were simply marketed differently.

The name of the store, which translates to “Super Mood,” reflects the brand’s ironic and self-aware tone. “I wanted to create a playful universe around a sustainability-conscious lifestyle, not just in fashion, but in everyday routines as well,” explains Anya.

Founded six years ago, Nastroenie Super operates brick and mortar stores in Yerevan and Tbilisi. The stores’ curated collection isn’t based on an era or trend—they are carefully chosen items that seamlessly integrate into modern wardrobes in a fresh way.

Instead of preaching, Nastroenie Super transforms eco-activism into a lifestyle, showing that sustainable fashion can be stylish, enjoyable, and aspirational, all while improving quality of life. 

The store demonstrated its humanitarian commitment by organizing Georgia’s largest clothing drive for refugees from Artsakh. They continue this mission today, with artists and designers repurposing worn-out, low-quality, or damaged pieces into installations and new creations. They also led a major anti-war initiative, collaborating with 20 artists to create prints on zero-waste t-shirts.

Anya notes that while Yerevan’s interest in vintage and eco-friendly fashion is growing, there’s still a long way to go. Though some appreciate the uniqueness of vintage, others still associate secondhand shopping as outdated or merely low-budget. To shift these perceptions, the store hosts Stressed & Overdressed parties—gatherings where stylish people celebrate fashion and simply have fun.