On Friday, September 10th, I attended NYFW’s “The Talks 21stCentury Collectors,” where Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion and editorial director at Nordstrom, moderated panelists Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and founder and CEO of Stealth Mode Startup; Lynn Yaeger, writer and contributing editor at Vogue; Caitlin Donovan, head of department, handbags, streetwear, and sneakers at Christie’s, and Angelo Baque, founder creative director, Awake NY & Angelo Baque Studios discussed how they became collectors and the culture surrounding collecting within fashion.
The Talks are one of the most integral parts of NYFW. The Talks are series of panel discussions that usually consist of major fashion designers, fashion editors, influencers, and other key people within the fashion industry. As some who desire to learn about the depths of the fashion industry and the role fashion plays within our society ‘The Talks” really help put a lot of context behind the trends that we see on the outside of the fashion world looking in.
Whether it’s trading cards, comic books, sneakers, handbags, or even rocks, I’m sure we’ve all engaged in collecting something that has an intrinsic value to us. During my years as a makeup artist, I found myself justifying purchasing multiple limited-edition eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks that I knew I wouldn’t touch whether it had hold value or not. In more recent times, the more I engage in the culture surrounding fashion and learning about some of my favorite designers, I’ve picked up that old habit of acquiring bags, shoes, and sunglasses that I limit my use of or WILL NOT TOUCH. 21st Century Collectors sparked my interest, not only because of the list of fashion icons as panelists but because of my own personal habit of collecting. Jian Deleon’s first question to the panelist was “How did your journey into collecting begin.” I couldn’t believe how relatable some of their responses were. Lynn Yaeger expressed that her journey began as someone who was just a “compulsive shopper and buyer” while Angelo Baque shared that “Once I started making some money and buying the things I wanted, I made sure to take care of them.” Caitlin Donovan shared part of what started of love of handbags, which I found so interesting “Was that women finally had an asset class they could start building and collecting in.”Click here to watch the full panel discussion.
Also, check out a few of the other panel discussions during NYFW here.