Art From the Archives

For the Dolce Vita collection, our designers pored over vintage archives to find playful photography — then brought each moment back to life with thoughtful recolouring.

There’s something magical about rediscovering a forgotten photo: the grain, the framing, the way it captures a fleeting moment of everyday life from another time. For Opposite Wall’s Dolce Vita collection, our in-house art team dove deep into vintage photography archives to unearth gems that deserved a second life.

The goal: To revive candid, one-of-a-kind imagery with fresh colours and modern framing — transforming overlooked snapshots of someone’s grandmother into statement pieces that feel both nostalgic and contemporary.

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Hand-Recoloured

Once the images were selected, the next challenge was giving them new life without losing their vintage charm. Every photo was individually recoloured by hand, a painstaking process that took hours per print. The team adjusted tones and added dimension, imagining what these scenes might have looked like in full colour, while staying true to the texture and emotion of the original image. In some prints, the recolouring is vibrant and playful. In others, the tones are more subdued, drawing attention to the subject’s mood or fleeting glance.

“My favourite two are Ragazze al Sole, featuring the girls walking down the beach, and Fiorellina, which is the woman in the swimming cap — they feel so human, so alive,” adds Wood. “There’s a sparkle in both images, whether it’s strutting with confidence down the boardwalk or striking a playful pose for a summer portrait."

Curated With Love

The process envolved weeks of sifting through national archives and vintage photo bins at flea markets. “It was like time travelling through decades of street scenes, vacations, and candid family moments,” says Autumn Wood, Senior Creative Director. “We weren’t looking for perfection. We were drawn to photos that had soul.”

Featuring hazy beach days from Italy to Stockholm, the selected images were anything but stock. Many were unlabelled or unsigned, making them feel even more like hidden treasures. 

“Whoever took these photos paused just long enough to take in the view and click. Now, decades later, we get to share in that same moment,” she says. “I feel like this part of the collection is so special — these photos were once tucked into a suitcase or slipped into an album, and eventually lost to everyone who knew them. Now they’re (hopefully!) part of someone’s home. They carry this quiet kind of magic.”

Designed to Tell a Story

These prints are about more than just aesthetics. Each is a window into another era.

"Back then, instant snapshots were all about the thrill of now — capturing ordinary days without expecting them to last. And yet, they have,” says Lead Illustrator Eléonore Coppin. “Perfectly imperfect, they’ve become some of the most meaningful things we hold onto. This photography selection is a beautiful and unique tribute to a time we can’t return to, but still feel deeply connected to.”

Discover the Collection
Ready to bring home a little piece of the past?

Embrace La Dolce Vita