There’s nothing that a ravenous, sartorially minded Instagram user loves more than a feed chock-full of throwback fashion. This year, it became hugely apparent that there’s a fashion inspiration silo for everyone on social media: Gabriel Held’s mishmash of a young Naomi Campbell on the runway at Vivienne Westwood and Fran Drescher in a pink printed top; Destiny’s Legendary Children and its odes to Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera circa early 2000s; the Chanel Archives handle with its double C–clad bombshell supermodels of the past. In addition to the loud and sometimes laughter-inducing awesomeness of the aforementioned streams, a quieter, dare we say, cooler, account has been gaining fame in their midst. It’s called Simplicity City, and until now, the woman who started posting images of archival Giorgio Armani campaigns photographed by Aldo Fallai and a minimally dressed Carolyn Bessette wandering around Manhattan was anonymous.
“My background isn’t in fashion,” explains Nicole Rice. “I most recently worked at NPR as a regional sales coordinator and before that, I was a student at NYU studying art history.” Her Instagram account now has over 60,000 followers, including designers like Julie de Libran, photographers such as Cass Bird, and creative directors like Vanessa Traina. The main draw of Rice’s Simplicity City is the breadth of obscure fashion images, like an all-white linen look from a Vogueshoot by Marco Glaviano from the November 1981 issue, or a black-and-white Donna Karan ad showing a model in velvet pants and a baggy coat from around 1995. “I’ve been collecting magazines for over 10 years now,” says Rice. “I find many of the images I post online, but I also find a ton of them in the old publications that I have gathered over the years.” She adds, “I’ve bought them at old bookstores, on eBay, and some rare book and magazine dealers such as High Valley Books in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, or Black Cat Books on Shelter Island.”
Unlike many of her throwback Instagram peers, Rice has never been a stylist, nor has she had any direct ties to fashion houses or major publications. What she does have is an astute eye. “I have always been drawn to simple and classic designs, and I like to find photos that embody a certain timelessness,” says Rice. “I think a lot of the photos I post are more about the attitude and less about the clothes. You can find that minimal, tomboyish look I love in every decade and it’s amazing how so many of the photos feel so relevant today.” Others in the industry happen to agree, which is why Rice has been contacted by people like Daphne Javitch and Suzanne Rae and asked to help them compile mood boards for their respective business projects. Rice also notes that she has officially left NPR to focus on consulting full-time, with a few top-secret fashion jobs in the works for 2017.
The through-line of Simplicity City’s aesthetic is a dedication to effortlessness, both aesthetically and strategically. In fact, Rice has no strategy at all when it comes to posting. “I feel like my page has grown organically,” she says. “I think people respond best to accounts that aren’t over the top and I think it’s better to be patient and slowly connect with people who get your interests and vision.” Rice may have launched her feed over a year ago, but it’s showing no signs of slowing as far as popularity goes. She does have favorites when it comes to subjects, including models Linda Byrne, Maggie Rizer, and Isabelle Townsend; celebrities like Joan Didion, Tina Chow, and Lauren Hutton; as well as “every female lead and extra in Eric Rohmer films.” “There is a lot of Prada, Calvin Klein, Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, and even old J.Crew. I love a hint of normcore on my page,” says Rice. “I find myself zooming in on people in the audience of Prada’s fashion shows in the early ’90s trying to see what they’re wearing.”
While Rice may have accidentally found one of the most perfect Instagram-meets-fashion formulas, she is steadfast in her belief in the power of simplicity. “The Instagrams that I am most inspired by are those that come from people who aren’t trying to post photos for likes or gain more followers,” she notes. “I am inspired by those who are true to their interests and what they think is cool. That’s what comes off as more authentic and real to me on Instagram.” A stylish m.o. to follow, indeed.
