Don't call it a come back - the modern look of vintage clothing is here to stay. This might seem like an oxymoron but the designs of Courrege, Rudi Gernrich, Pierre Cardin, and Paco Rabanne, some of the greatest forward-thinking couturiers, continue to fuel today's fashion. Best of all, great vintage clothing can be found too- if you know where to look.

At "Decades," Cameron Silver's passion for vintage haute couture makes it easy to get in touch with the past, but these designer treasures are instilling the future into fashion. These designer treasures- among a slew of others- can be rediscovered and recaptured at Decades, Silver's ultra cool, eclectically hip Melrose Avenue vintage clothing boutique which offers designs from literally decades ago.

Witness the interest of Winona Ryder, Demi Moore, Frances McDormand and Helena Bonham Carter in vintage couture- all of whom have been captured by the paparazzi wearing these classic fashions. Silver refers to his shop as a "vintage store that treats vintage as wearable. The clothing looks totally modern. Today, we are constantly re-evaluating what's vintage... the period of time that defines vintage is shortening. Look at what's happening now, there's this whole return to the '80s." There are even web sites dedicated to the search for, and trade of, these one-of-a-kind collectors items. Shops catering to collectors of vintage clothing, furniture and kitchen accoutrements are popping up all over the world. In today's most contemporary boutiques vintage items are presented alongside current pieces. Vintage is no longer a curiosity from another era. More than an accent to the present, vintage has bridged the past to the future.

"It's the way many designers glean inspiration for their latest collections," says Silver. "Sixty percent of our customers are designers," he divulges. "They use the store as a laboratory."

How can you indulge your vintage instincts without looking like you stepped out of a black and white TV? Silver's advice is succinct: "You have to mix and match. Wear something modern with whatever vintage purchase you have made. For instance, with a diaphanous Halston gown wear new stilettos, or carry a new modern clutch, so it won't look costume-y. You don't want to look like an advertisement for vintage chic."

Make certain to buy quality pieces that don't look old. "We have the best of the best of the designer vintage here," states Silver. "It's been so edited down by us, and I'm adamant about quality." Scouring the world for "old modern" clothes of the best quality takes time and effort. "In just the last three weeks, I've spent the weekends in Jacksonville, New York, London, Bath. Then it will be on to New York again, then the Hamptons, then Milan and Paris," he says. Silver drifted into his position of a full-time vintage buyer from a career as a professional German cabaret singer. "It was a touring career. I spent two weeks in Seattle and I was bored," admits Silver. "I started shopping vintage places and filled seven boxes with magnificent clothes." A store was born from those boxes three years ago on an undesirable stretch of Melrose, now home to many designer stores. "And, truly," he laughs, "more people know me for old Pucci than for singing old German cabaret songs."

Silver may have an affinity for the past, but he appreciates the wealth of the present. "Every designer will admit to being inspired by the past, but what's important is using it to be true to your own vision."