Stylist Baya Gorbunova on Where to Score the Best Vintage in Barcelona and Ibiza
Stylist Baya Gorbunova shares her favourite haunts in Barcelona and Ibiza—the places where the good stuff is.
Baya Gorbunova dresses like someone fluent in time travel. Silver, lacquered, space-age meets timeworn vintage—like a futurist who keeps one foot firmly planted in the past. Her aesthetic is a negotiation between worlds: the hard edge of metal, the softened patina of history, something archival yet eerily ahead of its time. That balance is instinctive.
Born in a small town in southern Russia, Baya is of Kalmyk descent, a Mongolic ethnic group whose traditions have endured centuries of migration, adaptation, and reinvention. She grew up between two forces: a culture steeped in folklore, silver talismans, and ritual objects imbued with meaning, a hypermodern world of fashion trends, internet-fueled aesthetics, and the relentless churn of what’s next. She never saw them as opposites.
“I started wearing silver rings before I knew why,” she tells me. “Later, I found out that in my culture, women wore them for protection and strength. It was instinct. I was drawn to things that felt like they had a story.”
Now, as a stylist, and influencer, she moves between Barcelona, Paris, and Milan with the kind of ease that makes it impossible to pin her down to one place. She pairs a Galliano-era Dior bag with a flea-market men’s blazer and makes it look obvious. She understands that great style is not about price tags but perspective.
Her love for vintage started not in the glittering streets of Paris or Milan, but in the flea markets of Berlin, where she first discovered the thrill of finding something rare, something with history. “At first, I was just collecting souvenirs from my travels,” she says. “Then I realised the best souvenirs were things I could wear.”
These days, she has an uncanny ability to unearth the rare and the storied, to navigate the labyrinth of secondhand boutiques and flea markets with the precision of someone who knows exactly what they’re looking for. Below, she shares her favourite haunts in Barcelona and Ibiza—the places where the good stuff is.
Barcelona: The Emerging Vintage Capital of Cool
Barcelona’s vintage scene is not a matter of nostalgia but of curation. Here, history is worn well, archival designer pieces, beautifully patinated leather jackets, and handbags with lives before yours. The city offers a spectrum: flea markets where the thrill is in the hunt, and boutiques where the work has already been done for you.
A destination for fashion insiders, The Favorite Vintage is where the serious collectors go for archival Prada, tailored YSL, and that elusive pre-Philo Céline. “If you love old Céline, this is the place,” Baya says. “It’s a dream selection.”
Carrer del Bruc, 71, L'Eixample, 08009 Barcelona
Barcelona’s sprawling open-air flea market rewards those who know how to look. “You have to go early,” Baya advises. “The best pieces disappear fast. And always negotiate—if you act like you don’t need it, the seller might drop the price.”
Carrer de los Castillejos, 158, L'Eixample, 08013 Barcelona
Tucked away in El Born, LeSwing is a study in vintage glamour. Dior handbags, Chanel silk blouses, sharp-shouldered outerwear—each piece chosen with intent. “It’s like stepping into a curated time capsule,” Baya says.
Carrer dels Lledó, 4/6, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona
Ibiza: Vintage, But Make It Bohemian
Ibiza’s approach to vintage is less studied, more instinctive. A place where rockstar decadence meets sun-faded bohemia. Here, vintage is not just worn—it’s lived in, weathered by salt air and late nights.
The island outpost of Barcelona’s famed Holala! Vintage, this store is all about effortless, sun-drenched cool. “It’s perfect if you want that undone Ibiza look,” Baya says.
Plaza de la Constitucion 12, 07800 Ibiza
For those who take their vintage seriously, Archive Closet is the spot for rare Chanel, perfectly cut silk dresses, and the kind of pieces that never make it to the racks of your average secondhand shop. “This is where you go when you want something truly special,” says Baya.
Carrer de Bartomeu Vicent Ramon, 22, 07800 Ibiza
A treasure trove of history, this shop deals in the beautifully anachronistic—Victorian lace, ’80s power blazers, intricately embroidered garments that feel more archival than trendy. “It’s vintage with a sense of romance,” Baya notes.
Camí Puig de Misa, 07840 Santa Eulària des Riu, Ibiza
Baya’s Expert Tips for Vintage Shopping
Know Your Silhouettes
“Have an idea of what you like—shapes, fabrics, eras. It keeps you focused when you’re facing racks of clothes.”
Check the Fabric
“Vintage is usually better quality than fast fashion, but still—touch everything. You want real silk, wool, cotton. Not polyester.”
Negotiate Like a Pro
“At markets, never pull out big bills. Keep small cash, and when bargaining, say something like, ‘This is all I have.’ It works.”
Be Patient
“The best finds don’t happen instantly. Vintage shopping is a treasure hunt, so enjoy the process.”
Mix High & Low
“I love mixing designer with flea market finds. A vintage Margiela jacket with a secondhand men’s shirt? Perfect.”
For Baya, vintage is a way of moving through the world—a practice in intention, a reverence for objects with history. And she moves often. One week, she’s unearthing forgotten treasures in a Barcelona flea market. The next, she’s styling a campaign in Milan, scouring Seoul for rare Comme des Garçons, or pulling together looks for Paris Fashion Week.
She’s a modern nomad, but with sharper tailoring and better luggage—much like her Kalmyk heritage, where movement is not just survival, but an art form.
