I believe, according to a subtle psychological logic, that the nostalgia plays a vital role in the evolution of identity and personality of humans. The memories and emotions (positive or negative) generated by an advertisement, a singer, a brand or a product that have left their mark are essential contributions to our history and our memory. In conclusion, “We are what we remember. The less we remember, the less we are" (Carlos Ruiz Zafon).
This product culture of the back or of vintage was born about thirty years ago with the first second-hand shops. At the same time, a culture of memory and archiving is also developing which was little felt before, indeed! The truth is that our parents and ancestors threw away a lot of stuff and what was left took on greater value also due to the scarcity.
these products-memories are characterized by a nostalgic component of the good old days of my youth. The same nostalgia is found in the diaspora of immigrants for national products. Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit some American Little Italy has certainly tasted that slightly melancholic and moving, but very proud and proud retro feeling in the eyes of our compatriots from overseas.
We boomers are the generation that has felt this nostalgia the most and we have been amply satisfied by the modernized relaunch of old models (500, Mini, Vespa), but also by so much culture that has its roots in memory (fiction, film, television, art , etc.).
Observing the variety and vastness of the offer in this area, I highlight three production models:
- reissues or limited reproductions of authentic products made on the original bill of materials;
- editions of authentic products maintaining only some identity and conceptual elements and evolving the intrinsic and material components;
- editions of non-original products that have been designed, or counterfeits and imitations that have been completely revised, invented or significantly evolved.
I guess you agree with what I wrote about the past, about the future I wonder:
Will the new digital generations be nostalgic too in thirty years? Which products from their youth will make it into their top ten list of memorable and legendary icons?
A partial feeling is that many of the products and brands today fully retro and vintage they will not fade and will continue to consolidate the memory of the next generations as well. We leave the construction of their memory to these generations, hoping that they will be better than us in the selection and conservation of the products to memorize.
“Sometimes we believe we are nostalgic for a distant place, while strictly speaking we are only nostalgic for the time we lived in that place when we were younger and fresher. Thus time deceives us under the guise of space. If we make the journey and go there, we see the deception." Arthur Schopenhauer
All the best!
