Villien's Heritage Heirlooms
Based in Singapore, Villien Zhang is a digital authenticator who has been a member of the Vestiaire Collective Community since 2012. She gives us an insider look into curating a collection of investment pieces to cherish now and pass down to future generations.
It's important to build a capsule...
… centered around investment classics. A collection of comfortable, beautiful things you’d constantly reach for without a second thought. I narrow it down to the classics: the Chanel tweed jacket that hugs the body in all the right places, a vintage silk bias dress from John Galliano for Christian Dior and a leather bag that will endure being tugged and pulled by my children. With Vestiaire Collective, I am able to update my wardrobe with what I need or resell what no longer suits me. Well-made items will stand the test of time and even turn out to be assets.
The items I’ve collected…
… are not just cherished by me, but I will be able to pass them down to my children. My first heritage piece was a Hermès Kelly 28 in Box leather from 1994. It looked amazing for its age and was incredibly well taken care of. My mother also recently passed her Gucci bag on to me—the first bag she purchased with her first paycheck from the 80s, and it is now one of my most prized material possessions.
I joined Vestiaire Collective with the intention of…
… clearing my closet, but I was also able to feed my vintage Prada and Chanel addiction while offloading items that no longer suited my lifestyle. I am what you’d call a luxury thrifter—the items on my wish list must be at a price point I am comfortable with, and Vestiaire Collective enables me to find exactly that. Case in point, I recently found a gorgeous pair of green Bottega Veneta pants I had been pining for from their 2021 collection at a fraction of its retail price.
My favorite part about authentication...
… is I get the first look at the items that will be listed. I love the unique pieces that come in, one of the best being a Vivienne Westwood Cape Ball Tie Wedding dress. When I’m authenticating Chanel or Hermès pieces I usually start with their typography, hardware and stitches. The education around authentication is always ongoing, and I stay on top of the newest processes by connecting with a network of experts who have a wealth of knowledge and expertise on certain brands. The most important thing to remember is that details do matter.