I met with owner and fashion maven Madeleine Kirsh, who is a font of fashion knowledge. The store is a mecca for stylists, collectors, movie costumers, celebrities and designers. In fact, I just missed Michael Kors (Aaaarrgghhh!) who came in to find inspiration among the racks and racks of vintage clothing. I found it interesting to look at the vintage Chanel, Lagerfeld and Gucci pieces with a new eye and to see where these classic designs have been interpreted in the collections of modern day designers.

I spent at least two hours going through the inventory, which is conveniently arranged by decade. The Sixties section was unreal – like going back in time to my mother’s closet. Each decade section contains not only clothing, but shoes, bags, hats, jewelry and accessories.

There’s a fur section, a leather section, a menswear section and a nod to Florida fashion history with a kitschy ‘50s Hawaiian section. I spent a lot of time in the ‘20s and `30s areas, trying on velvet capes and feathered hats. Can I tell you how much fun I had? Of course, everything is for sale, but even if you’re not in the market for vintage clothing, or not the type with enough chutzpah to wear it out on the street, you’ll find a visit to C. Madeleine’s instructive if you’re a fashionista like me. I’ve collected vintage handbags for a quite a few years and got a great piece of advice from Madeleine regarding them – she told me that if I had them, then I should, for goodness sake, use them, rather than putting them away on a shelf. Now why didn’t I think of that?

To the following quotes regarding C. Madeliene’s I add my own, “You’ve got to see it to believe it.”

"Miami's Best Kept Secret" - Vogue magazine

"A stylish sanctuary to fashion fiends, designers and stylists" - Daily Variety

"A 10,000 sq.ft. Vintage Paradise" - ELLE

"Vintage gowns and accessories you can't find outside of NYC or LA" - Lucky

Check it out at:

13702 Biscayne Boulevard, N. Miami Beach, FL 

Phone: (305) 945-7770