Luxury fashion tells a story — whether rooted in the past or present, every piece carries a narrative shaped by craftsmanship and history. Anthology of Style brings these stories to life and into your collection, allowing you to share in the legacy, and foster sustainability in the fashion industry. Kim Alpert, the founder of Anthology of Style, believes fashion is art and, whether you’re collecting or simply admiring, this type of art shouldn’t be limited to the world’s rarefied circles. Through immersive live shopping events, Anthology of Style offers customers an engaging way to discover curated and authenticated collections of vintage and pre-owned designer handbags, clothing, and jewelry. These real-time shows bring the boutique experience directly to customers, blending luxury shopping with the immediacy and excitement of live interaction.
Image courtesy: Anthology of Style
The AoS Museum: A Celebration of Vintage Fashion
Now, Anthology of Style takes its mission further, establishing a museum dedicated to showcasing the rich history of archival fashion. But this isn’t just about preservation – it’s about accessibility. Many of the pieces featured in the museum’s collections will also be available for purchase through Anthology of Style’s live show format. This unique approach blends exhibition with retail, offering both seasoned collectors and newcomers the chance to engage with – and potentially acquire – these iconic designs.
From Vault to Vision: The Legendary Chanel Barbie Collection
The inaugural exhibit of the NYC-based AoS Museum features the legendary Chanel 1995 Spring/Summer Barbie Collection, an iconic moment in fashion history. Since its release nearly 30 years ago, these coveted pieces have been scattered across the globe, tucked away in private collections, vaults, and the wardrobes of elite collectors. Until now, they’ve largely remained out of sight, appreciated only by a select few. That is, until the 2023 release of the Barbie movie, which put the 1995 designs back in the fashion limelight. This exhibit aims to reconnect the public with these iconic designs.
Anthology of Style has meticulously reassembled the lion’s share of the iconic Chanel 1995 Spring/Summer Barbie collection, showcasing over 200 pieces, including ready-to-wear, bags, and accessories. After years of hunting down these treasures, Kim Alpert has curated an impressive selection that represents the original collection almost in its entirety.
Image courtesy: Anthology of Style
Image courtesy: Anthology of Style
Among the standout pieces are the highly coveted bags that fans will recognize from the recent Barbie movie, including the iconic Heart Bag, which will be displayed in every color produced — from classic black and white to ultra-rare blue editions. Visitors will also have the chance to admire the top-handled vanity cases, complete with their signature heart-shaped mirrors — truly fit for a Barbie! And these are just a glimpse of what awaits – there’s so much more to explore in this impressive exhibition.
While attending the exhibit in New York is currently invite-only, you can join the excitement by tuning into the exclusive AoS live museum curation show live on Instagram over at @anthology_of_style on October 26 – 28, where you can shop for your very own slice of Chanel Barbie 1995 history.
Spotlight on Kim Alpert
To delve deeper into the vision behind Anthology of Style and the launch of the AoS Museum, we spoke with Kim Alpert, Founder and CEO.
Image courtesy: Anthology of Style
What inspired you to start Anthology of Style, and how has the journey evolved since its inception?
As a writer yourself, I’m sure you’ve heard the terms “plotters” vs “pantsers” to describe the two main types of people who put words down on a page: those who plan and plot out their work methodically before writing, and those who reach blindly into the ether, feeling around, grasping toward the next word.
The latter is the best way I can describe how this business has progressed. The journey has been quite organic, with each step forward stemming from what felt right at the time. I think this was possible because I do all of the LIVES for my company, so I spend a great deal of time with the community; I’m constantly gathering data and reflecting about what works, what doesn’t, what my clients want, etc.
From LIVES, I also found I had a knack for sussing out not only the stories of the objects I sold, but also of the people who purchased them. Learning a little bit about Courtney from Texas or Ari from California went hand in hand with learning why Chanel jackets allow for effortless movement or how the Hermes Kelly got its name. By noticing which stories seemed to fit together, I was able to guide customers toward building their collections in ways that brought them joy, which in turn brought me joy, and this all led to us building a tight-knit community.
From this vantage point, the truth might be that Anthology of Style was always the plan, I just didn’t know it. I’ve loved stories as long as I can remember. I grew up with my parents – who are also small business owners – reading to me every night. Anthology of Style is in some ways a distillation of my love of reading – people, objects, literature, history – and the entrepreneurial example that my parents set for me.
My AOS journey quickly evolved from a side hustle to seeking to build a business that mattered. I wanted to honor the art I’d come to love and that served as my connection to the wonderful people of the Anthology of Style community.
Opening The AOS Museum is an extension of that. I suppose it’s what we aspire to achieve with every LIVE: real, genuine connections and the rarest, most special vintage I can find. The next step for us is getting the word out, so we can induct new vintage fashion lovers into the community.
Live shopping has become a core part of your brand. What drew you to this format, and how has it transformed how customers experience luxury fashion?
What drew me to the LIVE format is the unparalleled ability to create trust with the client by combining the best of the brick and mortar experience with the conveniences of online shopping.
When you tune into a show, you have the ability to see items live, from every angle, learn what makes each one special, and ask/receive answers to questions in real time from the comfort of your home anywhere in the world.I think LIVE shopping is uniquely suited to pre-owned and vintage luxury items because each piece, even when there are multiple items of the same style, has its own story, has lived a different life, may have different beauty marks, pedigrees, inclusions, etc. Each item is one of one. I believe that the only way you can build trust when selling high-value items of this nature in a remote setting is to treat each one like an individual and give clients multiple forms of information on its every facet (LIVE video and real-time Q&A, as well as static pictures, written histories, and descriptions via our check out links).
Plus, shopping is a social sport. Getting to do it with friends is the best part. It’s hard to scroll a website with friends. But watch a LIVE? It’s more fun than you can imagine.
Image courtesy: Anthology of Style
What about luxury fashion captivates you the most, and how do you decide which pieces to feature in your collections?
The idea of luxury can be somewhat elusive. A dictionary will tell you that what makes something luxurious is it being non-essential, but this misses the point. Luxury occurs when a simple, yet particular, set of conditions are met: a specific what + how + why. The essence of luxury is formed when the highest quality materials (the what) and the most expert craftsmanship (the how) are paired with a bit of someone’s soul – that is, the deep effort and intention that underlies anything truly special. This is the why or, in other words, the story.
In general, when I choose what to curate, I first make sure all these conditions are met: I believe in the craftsmanship and quality of the item (this is why we only source pieces in “very good” grade and up), and I find the story compelling.With the opening museum curation, I chose the Chanel 1995 Spring Summer collection because it is widely aDoréd and relatively well known; I thought if I could manage to find the pieces, it wouldn’t be difficult to get people’s attention with them, and hopefully attract new people who are interested in viewing vintage fashion as art. That, and it’s SO pretty!!!
What has been your most exciting or challenging find while sourcing rare and vintage items for Anthology of Style?
The sequin bra top from the collection’s quintessential look – shown on Claudia Schiffer and often referred to as look 63 – was the most difficult to obtain, and the negotiation the most challenging. For a long time, I didn’t think I would succeed in securing it, and this weighed heavily on me as I think it is the most important look in the entire collection. Needless to say, it will not be for sale – rather, it will remain in our permanent collection for future vintage lovers to enjoy.
Image courtesy: @anthology_of_style
The AoS Museum is a major milestone for your brand. What inspired you to create a museum space, and what do you hope visitors take away from it?
I host weekly LIVE shows every Tuesday that feature a variety of vintage and designer handbags, clothing, and jewelry. After one such show two years ago that was particularly packed with vintage treasures, I remember thinking to myself that anyone new to these LIVES might end up believing it’s normal and expected for some of the pieces I just sold to pop up on a random Tuesday night, even though they are ultra rare and wouldn’t be out of place in a museum.
Cheekily, joking with myself, my next thought was, “Well, maybe I should build a museum then.”
As often is the case with ideas we’re not ready for, I brushed it off and went on with my night.
But while I was cleaning up, walking home, greeting my husband, and sitting down to dinner, some small part of me must have been turning that idea over and over, examining it, dusting off the joke and finding the seed of the dream inside, because the next time that thought crossed my mind, it no longer sounded so silly. “Well, what *if* I built a museum?”
The MET often has rotating exhibits featuring belts I’ve sourced and a few jackets I’ve had, so I know I’m not wrong about them being museum quality. Otherwise, the few and famous museums around the world that include fashion either tend to focus on the earliest examples from a house that are rare in a different way than what I’m drawn to, or they only include fashion on an exhibition level rather than as a permanent collection.
I started doing a little research and, at least at the time, I wasn’t able to find any major museum specifically dedicated to archival designer fashion. Some stores had showrooms, and some museums looked at a broader swath of fashion, but there wasn’t anywhere in the US I could go to admire the vintage runway pieces that made my heart beat a little faster.
So, I became a person who had a dream to build a museum.
That was two years ago and, now that the first iteration of our museum exists, I want people to take away from it that it’s OK to find yourself in fashion – studying or being drawn to or somehow identifying with the Spring Summer 1995 Chanel runway collection is just as valid as having that same life-affirming swell of emotions while standing in front of a Van Gogh painting. The point of art is to provoke thought, connect people, and make you feel something. I hope people who come in contact with what we’ve built experience at least one of these things.
We noticed a sign at the exhibition that read “Ask me why this is empty.” We’re intrigued! Could you tell us what would be presented in this space, and why it’s been left empty?
Ah! Good eye! There are two iconic pieces from this collection that we were able to acquire, but that I purposefully didn’t showcase during the opening: the bib version of the multicolor CC Barbie necklace and the logo-less multicolor gemstone chain belt that ends in an egg-sized crystal heart. My heart is racing just talking about them. To preserve something of the museum experience for vintage lovers who didn’t get to attend the opening, we reserved these pieces to be revealed for the first time during our LIVE on Oct 26-28th. These two items will be part of our permanent collection so that all can enjoy them; they will not be offered for sale.
How does the museum experience differ from your live shopping events, and what are your plans for future exhibits?
The mission that underscores both the museum and LIVE shopping arms of Anthology of Style is the same: To share with people the stories of rare and beautiful objects, empowering them to discover what they love and build collections and connections that surround them with beauty, culture, and value.
Our LIVE shows are more casual and feature a looser curation – multiple brands, a variety of price points, a mix of vintage and modern-pre-owned pieces; the more off-the-cuff nature of these shows allows me to be ultra-responsive to the audience and curate in-the-moment for the group of people who have tuned in to any given show.
The museum experience, on the other hand, is the creme-de-la-creme of what we can offer. Every single piece in the curation was meticulously hand-selected for its beauty, significance, and rarity. These are pieces worth traveling to see displayed in the jewel box of our museum room that, in my opinion, is every bit as beautiful as the famous museums around the world that house priceless art (many thanks to Jessica Gersten Interiors for their work on the design!).
From each curation, we will retain three full looks that we feel are representative of the theme for our permanent collection. The rest of the items will be offered for sale in an exclusive LIVE show, and the funds from the sale will be put toward building the next curation. We will continue in this way until we have amassed a large private archive, and saved enough to move into a larger, permanent home with a full time staff to accept visitors without invitation.
The next curation will feature a different fashion house – the only hint I will give you as to which is this: the brand’s original creative director was a man, and today it is helmed by a woman. Any guesses?
Two final notes:
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my team for the countless hours of support they have given me over the years. Ana, Everlyna, Roxanne, Hanna, Aiden, Teah, Rizza, Jeni, Laura, and Aura – you make everything possible.While we aDoré Chanel, and we hope this exhibit honors what they’ve created, it’s important to note that Anthology of Style is not affiliated/associated/authorized/endorsed with/by Chanel, nor are we an official reseller of the brand.
Be sure to tune in to Anthology of Style on October 26 – 28 for the live launch of the AoS museum.
Read related articles:
Vintage Vault Vol. 1: Navigating the Highly Collectable World of Vintage Chanel
Vintage Vault Vol. 2: 5 Most Coveted Vintage Chanel Bags
All the Chanel Bags from the Barbie Movie
The Chanel Heart Obsession Runs Deep: How Do You Wear Yours? + a PB Reveal
Chanel Introduces New Bags for Spring-Summer 2025
Love, PurseBop
XO
Updated: October 25th, 2024
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