Flamingos Vintage Kilo: Lisbon’s Fashion Time Machine

Outside of work, I enjoy exploring new places and stories. One highlight was traveling to Lisbon with fellow journalism students to create a magazine about emerging artists, where I wrote a feature on a vintage fashion store.

Since opening in 2019, Flamingos Vintage Kilo has become a standout attraction within Lisbon's growing vintage fashion scene. Originally founded in Barcelona and quickly expanding to Tokyo and beyond, the shop has become a go-to spot for curated vintage pieces and unique retro styles.

Stepping inside, the walls are lined with racks of classic Levi’s flare jeans, worn-in leather jackets, and bright ‘70s mixed patterns, alongside shift dresses, chunky framed sunglasses, and ‘90s ski jackets. The carefully curated collection spans decades, offering something for everyone. As store manager Razy Basz puts it, the shop’s mission is for shoppers to “feel that they were transported to another time.” 

Basz, who began working at Flamingos in December 2024, highlights that the store prides itself on creating a warm and welcoming environment where fashion rules cease to exist. “The most beautiful thing that I like in this store is that we don’t have uniforms,” Basz explains. “So basically, we have the freedom to use whatever we want to use. That’s really important for us, to express ourselves the way that we are.” 

But Flamingos is much more than just a vintage store; it’s also a statement about sustainability. For Basz, taking care of the world is the number one goal. When asked what vintage fashion means to her, she emphasizes that it’s a chance to give clothes a second life, allowing pieces to be reworn and loved again, rather than simply discarded to the landfill. 

In Lisbon, the culture surrounding vintage fashion is booming, with new stores continuously making their debut. As Basz notes, “We actually have a lot of vintage stores around, and that’s really important because it’s a reflection of our society right now. And I love how young people are trying to improve and give another life to Lisbon. So that’s really important for us.”

Flamingos, alongside other vintage stores, represents a wider cultural movement. Together, they capture the city’s ever-growing sense of creativity and originality. 

Finishing up our conversation, we asked where the name Flamingos came from. Although a bit of a mystery, Basz explains that the word itself is simple, yet eye-catching, and universal in many languages, perfectly reflecting the store’s mission to combine an inclusive atmosphere with bold, funky styles.