‘ BUY ITEMS THAT TELL A STORY ’
the online guru sophie hersan, co-founder, vestiaire collective
there are currently over 900,000 items for sale on Vestiaire Collective, the ‘recommerce’ luxury consignment site, founded in 2009, that has changed the landscape of how we shop. ‘ We wanted to launch a community,’ says Sophie Hersan, the site’s fashion director and one of the co-founders (today, Vestiare has more than seven million members globally). ‘ There was a lack of resource and knowledge online 10 years ago. The ecosystem has changed a lot since then.’
Vestiaire offers users the ability to sell, as well as buy. ‘If I don’t like my sneakers any more, I know someone else is going to love them,’ says Sophie, who thinks emotion is an integral part of the charm of vintage shopping. Vestiaire’s trump card is the team of authenticators who verify the provenance of every item sold on the site. It allows users to experience the thrill of the hunt, without the risk. ‘ We are a fashion playground!’
Sophie’s use of the phrase ‘modern vintage’ might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s proved catnip to canny fashion fans who, as well as shopping for serendipitous finds, also use the site as a chance to snap up things they missed a few seasons ago. At the moment, there’s a surge in demand for small ’90s It bags and Versace prints.
Sophie, who inhabits the infuriatingly chic stereotype of the pared-back French woman, likes ‘things that tell a story’. And major watches. A Rolex Air King and gold Vacheron Constantin are among her best buys. A black Fendi Baguette was the last thing she bought. ‘Start with iconic accessories,’ she advises anyone new to shopping vintage, and make sure you feel the coup de coeur.
Sophie currently has alerts for Audemars Piguet watches and Hermès Kelly bags, but there is nothing currently on her wish list. Nothing? ‘Nothing! I buy instantly. It’s a one-time occasion, you can’t overthink,’ she laughs. That’s the only downside of vintage: you don’t always get a second chance. vestiairecollective.com