Designer Vault | Chanel Couture at Your Door

The first designer bag I ever bought was coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally) a Chanel bag; a vintage Chanel bag to be exact. A glorious taupe colored vintage Chanel bag. Heaven in a handbag. Any fashionista gal will tell you, the epitome of all designer bags is a Chanel bag. I had swooned over the Boy Bag season after season but with the hefty price tag it just wasn’t doable for me at the time. Along came Designer Vault, the online source for timeless Chanel consignment bags, accessories & jewelry, to answer my prayers of one day being able to own Chanel. 

It was early 2015 (yes, just last year!) and my birthday was approaching in February. I had always heard women talk about that time they bought themselves their first designer bag, and I thought “Finally, what a great birthday gift to myself, Chanel!” After perusing their site for just a few moments, I knew when I had found “the one”, a classic style in a versatile color with a bit of a vintage vibe. It was perfect. After having received my beauty in the post it was truly love at first sight. I could tell it had been well taken care of overtime and was in beautiful condition.  It was like whoever had it knew that another set of loving hands would someday cherish it. I was astounded by the quality of my Chanel handbag, how they withstand decades of use and still remain more beautiful than ever I will never know. I determined that my bag was from the late 80’s or early 90’s yet it is such a classic bag that the style will always be relevant; I believe this to be true with many Chanel pieces. I guess you really do get what you pay for with Chanel, as this is something I will hold onto forever.  

Designer Vault is known for sourcing rare and hard to find Chanel items and has been featured in Vogue, Who What Wear, Refinery 29, Glamour and many more for being the go-to Chanel source. Hey, in order to be irreplaceable one must always be different, right Coco Chanel? 

Dying to know what it's like to be surrounded by Chanel day in and day out I took a few minutes to sit down with the owner & founder of Designer Vault, Christina Samoylov, for a Q&A to answer all of those burning questions...

What inspired you to start Designer Vault?

After graduating college I was knocking on so many doors, only to be left with retail jobs who wanted me to work as a sales associate for minimum wage. After traveling across the country, going into student debt to obtain my degree from FIDM and working 5+ years in the industry, I knew I could do better. My inspiration came from those who offered me minimum wage and those who wouldn’t give me the time of day. I choose to believe in myself rather the lines they were trying to feed me.

How long has Designer Vault been around?

We’ve been officially established as of 2011.

What sets Designer Vault apart from other online designer consignment stores?

In 2011, when I started the business there were a plethora of online consignment stores popping up such as Tradesy, Shop-Hers, Vaunte, The Real Real, Threadflip…you name it. I kept wondering how to compete in a market that was becoming saturated not only with companies but with silicon valley funding. It was at that time, I decided to create my own niche within the industry and specialize in pre-owned vintage, rare and timeless Chanel handbags, accessories and jewelry. We now have the largest selection of vintage pre-owned Chanel in the country and have become the go to source for those looking to procure authentic pre-owned Chanel items.

Authenticity is such a huge topic with Chanel and other designer bags in general. How does Designer Vault guarantee authenticity of the items sold?

Each item that comes into our office is carefully inspected by a team of authenticators. Due to the nature of our business each team member is trained thoroughly on how to spot the fakes. When in doubt, we will reach out for a third party opinion in regards to if an item is fake. We have a zero tolerance policy for fake items.

What is the most sought after vintage Chanel item in your opinion? 

Probably, the Chanel Vintage Maxi Flap with 24K gold hardware. It’s been seen on a bevy of A-list celebs and is one of the most iconic bags Chanel has ever produced.

Do you plan on opening a storefront in the future?

We have a showroom that’s currently in the works that is attached to our office. We’re just putting the finishing touches on this space. Let’s just say, you won’t want to leave…

What advice would you offer to others looking to start their own business in the fashion industry?

Be focused.  Work smarter, not harder. Throughout this journey I’ve kept my nose to the grindstone and took the opportunity to learn wherever I could. I didn’t stray from my core products and work every day to keep a close eye on my numbers. It won’t happen overnight but eventually your persistence and determination do pay off. And when they do, don’t forget to look back and remember where you were at that time last year. It’s humbling and gives you the drive to push yourself to the next level of success within your business. 

Just some of the pieces I am lusting over at Designer Vault right now:

Chanel Vintage Lambskin Metallic Gold Backpack; $2,470

Chanel Black Lucite Perfume Bottle Bag; $9,600

Chanel Black Crinkled Leather Croc Embossed CC Logo Belt; $795

Don't take my word for it, head on over to Designer Vault and check it out yourself! And, when you find your dream bag or accesory you can take 5% off of the price by using code 'blameitonbarneys5' at checkout now through the end of the month. Hint, Hint...Valentine's Day is around the corner!

xx