Finding Designer Vintage with Gem

“I collect vintage as more of an artform than as a materialistic endeavour. It is truly art to me to have an item from a runway collection that I love. I love to know the references and the history of the collections and runways. Life can be so hard and dull, and it’s fun to walk into my closet and have a little colorful escapism. It is my little world that I curate. Truly, money can buy you happiness if you just use the Gem app to find your favorite archival pieces.

Some friends send memes on apps to communicate.

My friends and I send out Gem app finds to each other as our love language to one another.

I save all of my favorite brands on my Gem saved searches. My favorite brands I stalk are Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Galliano, Dior, Blumarine, Gianni Versace, Roberto Cavalli, and Christian Lacroix. Those searches I check religiously. I think my screen time on the Gem app is probably in the double digits per day, haha.

Roberto Cavalli S/S 2003 Chinoiserie Dress

This one was just me searching for the newest on my Roberto Cavalli search. I got super lucky, as it was JUST posted on Poshmark, and the lady wanted to cancel it on me because people were offering her a lot more money than what I offered ($500). I had to beg and plead with her to honor the sale, as I had wanted this dress or anything from this collection forever, and this colorway is so rare and gorgeous. I will cherish it forever, and she actually wore it for her engagement party.

My best tip is always to be broad. I always hear people sharing their search terms, and they are hyper-focused and niche. I find most of my items by just searching on Gem things like "Chanel" and then filtering by newest and sometimes by gender – that is about as focused as I will get. Just so the search picks up anything with Chanel in the title or item, to avoid missing that one piece.

You have to remember that the best pieces and prices are usually posted by amazing, fashionable, fabulous ladies who aren‘t going to really know how to post on resale sites, and they are not going to use keywords. So you have to be vague to make sure you don’t miss out on gold!

Dior by John Galliano S/S 2003 Victim Print Gown

This was a random “Dior Galliano” search on Gem. I always tell people that Etsy is a great website for deals. This dress could sell for thousands, and I got so lucky to get it for $500. It was one of those items that I was so anxious for it to be sent, as I was sure it was too good to be true. I will never sell her, but wow, do people ask to buy it off me ALL of the time!

Valentino S/S 2004 Runway Set

I will sometimes just search for 2004 because I am weirdly obsessed with all of my favorite designer runways from that year. I found this set on eBay for $250 from a seller from whom I had purchased before, and she gave me an amazing deal. Sabrina Carpenter has worn a similar set, so now it sells for a ton. I am so happy to have gotten this set before it blew up.

My obsession is completing a set, so I usually have a list of items that I am looking for to complete a set of an item that I have. There is no better feeling in the world than uniting a set. It is a passion of mine. Other than that, I am looking for this Chanel 2000 pink lace runway set that I had purchased and got lost in the mail, so now I feel incomplete without it and need to vindicate myself from that lost package.

Blumarine S/S 2004 Runway Mini Dress

This was one dress that I have always wanted and dreamed of. I ended up finding it on my daily Blumarine search a while ago, and it was on Etsy for $800. It was expensive, but I knew I had to have her. Weirdly enough, I sourced another maxi version on Vestiaire Collective for 70 dollars... brand new with tags! So now I have both versions, but the mini dress is for sure my favorite of the two.

Chanel 2004 Cruise Collection Ice Cream Set

This was a find in my daily Chanel “newest” searches. This $300 purchase from Vestiaire Collective kicked off my obsession with the Chanel ice cream 2004 cruise collection. Now I have this set, the ice cream cone dress, and the ice cream sandwich skirt. I am on the hunt for the matching top to that skirt, and that is my main search on the Gem app right now. Manifesting her to complete the set!”