S9 Ep26 VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE: Belinda Van Santen, Vintage Category Manager - on 5x growth in searches for vintage on the platform, and ‘Vintage Pieces at Vintage Prices.’

On today’s show, we’re chatting with Belinda Van Santen, Vintage Category Manager at Vestiaire Collective. Vestiaire Collective is a global platform for pre-loved luxury and designer fashion, started in Paris in 2009, where Belinda is also based.

Belinda has been with Vestiaire Collective for over a decade, one of the company’s longest employees, who has great perspective on how the platforms’ expertise in vintage has evolved and intensified over the years. Most recently, Vestiaire Collective has seen a 220% increase in vintage supply and 5x growth in searches over the past five years.

Vintage-lovers, this one’s for you –  let’s dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [2:05] Belinda always loved flipping through fashion magazines for the photography, but she really fell in love with style when she moved to London in her 20s.
• [4:45] Once, Yoko Ono shopped at the vintage store where Belinda worked in Paris.
• [8:04] What it was like joining Vestiaire Collective in the early days with only 40 employees
• [10:18] How attitudes toward resale have dramatically changed in the last decade
• [18:11] How the fashion industry's relationship with its archives has changed 
• [21:46] The shift from Y2K trends to more 90s minimalism emerging
• [25:46] Underrated accessories to watch
• [27:42] Tips for searching vintage on Vestiaire
• [33:25] Belinda's personal style obsessions
• [35:20] The importance of patience in vintage shopping.

EPISODE MENTIONS:

• Vestiaire Collective
• @vestiaireco
• Vintage Pieces at Vintage Prices: September 4-6, featuring daily drops of vintage from the 80s to 00s – all marked down to reflect their prices at the time of the release.
• Harry Styles wearing a chore coat inspired by French workwear
• Celine Phantom
• Vintage battles with Sophie and Fanny
• The Versace dress made famous by Jennifer Lopez
• Comme des Garcons ‘lumps and bumps’ dress

LET’S CONNECT: 

• 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
• 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/ 
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod 

SPECIAL THANKS: 

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
• Kathy Brand
• Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
• KT 
• Lydia Welp
• Michael A.
• Megan Morris
• Jennifer
• Alana Rivero
• Jerrica Yasumura