How did vintage turn from a passion into a career?

It was a happy accident. A few years ago, I became obsessed with vintage Chanel bags and wanted to buy one for myself. Like any dedicated collector, I scoured the internet and explored current resale platforms, being particularly selective. To be honest, I didn't love the existing resale experiences from big box marketplaces. After an extensive search, I finally found a bag from an overseas vintage brand, ultimately spending a small fortune on shipping, tax, and exchange duties. Once the hunt was over, I missed the process of searching for vintage bags. I became a bit addicted and continued looking for more. Friends started asking where I was finding these pieces and began requesting that I source items for them. I gradually became more involved and developed a deep reverence for the exceptional quality of vintage fashion. The craftsmanship seemed superior to contemporary designs, even from luxury brands. What started as a personal passion simply snowballed.

There's such a distinction between authentic vintage and modern interpretations. What draws you to the original creations rather than their contemporary counterparts?

Fashion is cyclical. Sometimes there is no difference at all, and sometimes there's a huge difference. That's what I love about vintage. For example, in the broadest sense, right now there's a resurgence of early 2000s and 90s trends happening, and one of the biggest ones— the little shoulder bags. Classic brands are reissuing those styles now and we also have more modern brands, like The Row, who are creating their own versions based on the original trend. Ironically a lot of those original pieces are still really relevant. That's the fun: you can be drawn to the modern trend and find the old version of it because there is always an old version! Generally speaking though, the quality is what draws me to vintage. While I wish that the quality of materials used in production today was still as good as it was back then, I'm happy that the big fashion houses stopped using exotic leathers. There are plenty of vintage exotic purses to love and no need for new ones!

Which style icons have shaped your aesthetic throughout the years?

Oh gosh, so many. I feel like a lot of people probably say this, but I would say I'm definitely inspired by a lot of TV fashion because I think it's just super fun and relatable for people who grew up in my generation–shows like Sex in the City, Friends, and even The Nanny. I think there's a lot of 90s nostalgia shows where there was a heavy designer fashion influence that I grew up seeing and I think at the time didn't recognize what it was, but still recognized that it was special. 

I also draw a lot of inspiration from old runway shows–they feel fresher and more theatrical than modern runway shows do. I'm always referencing those 90s runway shows and some of the models' styles back then—Kate Moss and Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell—the icons. I still look at their shows because there was a certain aura of that era that is very inspiring to me. My day job is ironically at Victoria Secret, so model culture influences a lot of what I do every day.

New York is a center piece of your brand - what does the city mean to you? Are you a native?

I think what's unique about me is I'm a native, but New York is still a dream to me. I grew up in Brooklyn with parents from Manhattan and Brooklyn. I visited my grandmother in Manhattan and was obsessed with the city since I could remember. I thought Manhattan was the coolest place in the world, and my grandmother, who lived alone in a West Village apartment, was the coolest woman. The first chance I got, I moved to Manhattan after college and never looked back. It's the centerpiece of my brand because it represents my identity. I still feel like I'm living a dream living here. From a style standpoint, it's the most inspiring city, because it's a melting pot—with eclectic style, high fashion, and cultural influence from people all around the world.

How does your perspective as a born and raised New Yorker impact your style?

I really love the idea of “high-low,” which I think the city represents. There's something to be said for the attainability of fashion. For most people, buying one or two high-end luxury pieces is sustainable, but not building an entire outfit for every event. Mixing styles is something I'm super into. In our collection, you'll always see an array of pieces. I like to use the term "eclecticness" because it’s a range—high to low, fancy to casual. That's the fun of vintage—a lot of it is really versatile. We try to have a lot of versatility in our collection inspired by New York City style. 

We've witnessed interesting shifts in the vintage market recently. Which eras or designers do you find buyers gravitating toward at this moment?

My clients still have a big love for 90s & Y2K nostalgia. I also love that animal print is back.  When it started to come back, I wasn't sure if it would be a small increment or create a big wave. It definitely seems like it's continuing for spring, after being prominent in fall and winter. I bring up animal print because it transcends multiple trends. There’s a western trend it’s a big part of, and also prevalent in the "mob wife" style that started last winter. It's fascinating because these are two totally different styles, paralleling trends and shared elements. When something like that takes over, it seems to circle around multiple trends. It's happening in texture too. Since fall and winter, I've seen the rise of vintage pony hair textures from my customers, which you often find in different animal prints. That's continuing in a big way, which is unique for spring—it's usually something we see more in fall and winter.

If you could dress any current celebrity exclusively in pieces from your collection, who would be your muse and why?

I'm very obsessed with Cher. I've always admired her style and obviously like she's such a historic part of the Bob Mackie era, and I love the history of Bob Mackie style. So I would say to her, she's still such an icon even to this day.

The stories behind vintage pieces often prove as fascinating as the items themselves. Is there a piece you’ve sourced that has revealed a juicy tale or a fun history?

I've sourced some very cool older pieces—I've had a couple that were on episodes of Sex in the City, which is super fun. I've found a few rare and unique old pieces from the 60s and 70s.  And I did have a 90s pair of earrings that were in a cover shoot for Chanel with Claudia Schiffer, which I thought was really cool.

We all have that dream vintage piece that got away. Which elusive item still haunts your collector's imagination?

When I first launched my website, one of my initial collections included two amazing vintage Chanel camera bags from the 1980s. They were made of lizard skin, which is pretty hard to come by now. There was a black one and this beautiful teddy bear brown color. A few years later, the teddy bear brown became a massive trend. The teddy bear bag sold online pretty quickly, and I have searched high and low but have never been able to find another one in that exact color. I really, really loved that piece.

Do you have a baby that you’d never sell?

It's funny—I'm so particular about what I source, and my whole assortment is based on the fact that there's nothing in my collection I wouldn't wear myself. I'm obsessed with every piece, which actually makes it hard to part with anything. 

So far, the only things I've kept are duplicate pieces. I put one in the shop and keep one for myself. One piece I would probably never part with is a vintage mini Kelly from Chanel. It's a patent leather version—they actually just re-released a similar style about two years ago, but the new ones are quilted. Mine is a clean version in black patent leather, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. It's a pretty classic piece.

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