Earlier this week I was blessed to share a stimulating conversation with Mark Levy, the brilliant founder of Levy Innovation, who has been described as “a positioning guru extraordinaire,” “a Superman of the mind,” and “a horse whisperer for writers and thinkers.”
With accolades like that you might correctly surmise that our talk included phrases like externalized thinking and thought leadership but, surprisingly, Mark and I also mulled over the origin of the cape, its use by both men and women, and yes, even its association with superheros.
Then Mark recounted a story about a time he was speaking at an event and was introduced to a client’s brother who just happened to be a vintage clothing dealer.
Well, Mark thought this was a fascinating profession and starting asking the man questions about his job. And it didn’t take long before he hit the taboo question that every vintage clothing dealer dreads:
So, where do you find your stuff?
But this dealer handled the question with extraordinary style and grace:
Sorry, I’d love to share but that’s a trade secret.
Bingo!
You see, as Mark quickly realized, asking vintage dealers to reveal their product sources is like expecting magicians to reveal the secrets behind their magic tricks.
And with quality vintage becoming harder and harder to find, you can bet that vintage dealers are guarding their sources with the same zeal that Coke uses to guard its secret soft drink recipe.
So while I’m not gonna share my own favorite out-of-the-box people and places that I’ve used to source great vintage myself, I will share a super-secret weapon that may sound a bit woo-woo but still works like a charm.
You see, I believe that the dealers with the best stock don’t always find great vintage as much as they ATTRACT great vintage.
Once you acknowledge that our world is made of energy, you soon realize that setting an intention to discover great vintage and then exhibiting gratefulness when it arrives seems to beget more great vintage.
At least that’s what seems to happen in my world. And I’m always amazed and delighted when the universe provides just what I’ve asked for.
For instance, if I have a designer on my mind, I’ll often discover one of their pieces on my next trip to a thrift store or flea market.
Or I’ll be thinking about something I’d like to acquire and then open an email announcing an auction that surprise, surprise, has that exact piece on the auction block.
Or I’ll bump into someone who knows someone who knows someone looking to sell what they call old clothes but what I think of as a vintage collection.
Which brings us to today’s VPODs. Both of these lovely micro-beaded vintage evening bags hail from a series designed by Pierre Cardin.
The bottom golden version is from my own collection, discovered at last fall’s Vintage Expo in Santa Monica. Since it’s one of my favorite pieces I won’t be parting with it anytime soon.
But you can grab the top version done in primary colors for your very own. And while you’re welcome to inquire with the dealer where they discovered it, don’t be surprised if they choose not to tell.
Of course, whatever its path to you, it’s a beautiful gem for a vintage fashionista!
Available at Chic Antiques. | Discovered at TheFind.com.
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