Meet The Boutique Series: The Brand Collector

Our Meet the Boutique series introduces you to our incredible boutique network, featuring prestigious vintage sellers from around the world. This month, we interview Paris based vintage boutique The Brand Collector, co-founded by Antoine Derbois. Stocking a vast array of handbags, jewellery and accessories from Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès, in amazing quality, we ask Antoine some questions on his boutique, his vintage recommendations and his opinion on the future of vintage resale.

When and why did you start The Brand Collector?

It all started in 2018. The second-hand market was booming all around us, as well as the increasing interest in the circular economy. Luxury fashion had always been hugely successful, as we all know, and didn’t show any signs of slowing down. We thought that combining these 3 factors - second-hand, circular fashion, and luxury fashion, would no doubt lead us to success. Thus, the Brand Collector was born.

Where is your boutique based and what’s your favourite thing about the area?

Our offices are based in Paris – the fashion capital of the world. However, as we are an online reseller, we can reach any person or location on the planet. Our favourite thing about being online, is it gives our customers the same opportunity to buy a beautiful piece of pre-owned luxury, such as an Hermès Carré scarf or Louis Vuitton Keepall, no matter where in the world they live.

Tell us a bit about what kind of products you stock & what you look for when selecting your products.

We mainly focus on vintage handbags, accessories, and jewellery. We focus on these items because, unlike ready-to-wear or shoes, they are easier to be cared for and can be easily passed onto someone else to re-house and enjoy in another life.

When sourcing our gorgeous products, we aim to focus mostly on vintage pieces, but we are always open to beautiful, non-vintage items, that stand out and that you would immediately notice among our 4000+ items.

What style handbag would you recommend to a first-time vintage buyer, and why?

Stick to the classics. Louis Vuitton handbags are a go-to when looking for pre-loved, vintage bags. The heritage of the brand speaks for itself. A Louis Vuitton Speedy will always be a nice finishing touch to any outfit and is a great starting point for any first-time vintage buyer. If you are shopping on a higher budget, then have a look at vintage Hermès and its iconic models, such as a Birkin or a Kelly. As well as the fact that these pieces never grow old in style, they are also great investments – a better investment than an apartment in Paris nowadays!

What’s your favourite vintage piece you have in stock right now and why?

We currently have a wonderful Louis Vuitton Keepall in Epi black leather in stock. It is in perfect condition. If we could currently travel, it would certainly be containing all my belongings and coming away with me for the weekend!

What do you see for the future of vintage fashion?

Over the last 10 years, people’s consciousness about the environment has drastically changed for the better. It’s important we keep moving in this direction. The COVID-19 crisis is yet another signal from Mother Earth telling us that we are currently doing things wrong and that we need to improve.

This year has shown us that people are concerned about changing their habits and changing the world for the better. In terms of fashion, this year the resale and vintage market has continued to boom – leading people to realise how their consumption needs to change and how fashion should, and does, move with the times. As fashion is the second biggest polluting industry, this sector must be a leader and show the way forward to our capitalist world.

I hope that we keep going in this direction, so the world and future generations can benefit and be given a greater chance.