With a museum-worthy collection of luxury vintage clothing that dates back to the 1860s and having dressed a wide-range of celebrity clients like Lady Gaga, former first lady Michelle Obama, and Beyoncé, New York Vintage is unlike any other clothing store in New York City.
But for owner and founder Shannon Hoey, it’s all about preserving history and making it readily available to the public.
Having founded the store in 2002, when she was only 26 years old, Hoey says that her life before owning NY Vintage can be described as a mix of working as a freelance designer, traveling with her husband who worked in the antique business, and buying and selling vintage clothing items.
“I came across one estate that we purchased that had all couture and specialized pieces, and I started collecting. That’s really how I fell into it,” says Hoey. “From there I started selling to museums, I sold privately and then I literally stopped taking jobs and took a store and jumped right into it not knowing if I was going to pay the rent the next month.” However the risk certainly paid off.
Located just two blocks away from Madison Square Park in Manhattan, the store has a retail space available to the general public on the main floor and a showroom upstairs that houses the most desirable and expensive pieces in Hoey’s collection.
Although both the retail space and the showroom are home to an astounding array of designer vintage wear, the showroom is only open to individuals working within the fashion industry, including stylists, editors, creative directors, designers, and fashion photographers, all of whom are vetted before being granted access to the exclusive space. “It’s not rent the runway,” Hoey jokes.
Walking into the showroom for the first time, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of incredible pieces in Hoey’s assemblage. Whether it be clothing that was once owned by actress Sophia Loren or even pieces that belonged to Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City.
“The question that I always get is, how did you collect all of this? And this is a culmination of years of traveling and buying and searching for those really special pieces,” explains Hoey. “We have over 150 years of some of the most important fashion.”
When asked what her favorite piece from her collection is, Hoey gives a quick yet assured response. “All of it.”
“Anything that’s up here would be difficult to part with, I remember where I purchased it, when I purchased it, just the excitement of finding these pieces,” she says. “Everything up here is really special to me.”
Even so, with an extensive collection that includes garments and accessories made between the 1860s and today, Hoey concedes that the pieces she is most well-known for are those from the 1920s.
But that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that she rented out clothing for the Leonardo DiCaprio led remake of The Great Gatsby. And with racks filled with these 1920s era dresses, she estimates that each one is worth about $6,000 USD.
Keeping in mind the price and age of these items, Hoey explains that depending on the condition of the garment, many of her items that date back to the 1920s aren’t used for red carpet wear. Instead, they are mostly rented out for photoshoots, where movement in the clothing is more minimal.
But for pieces that are even older and date back to the Victorian era, she says that those items are exclusively reserved for designer research – providing inspiration or even the possibility for a replica to be made.
Up until recently though, taking advantage of Hoey’s incredible collection housed in her second-floor showroom was limited to people within the fashion industry who were either based in New York or willing to make the trek. Now, following the creation of her exclusive online archive, that barrier is no longer in place.
Proud of the new platform and all that it has to offer, Hoey likes to describe it as “Pinterest meets Polyvore,” since it allows users to create storyboards with the NY Vintage pieces they find themselves most inspired by.
“The most fulfilling thing for me with my job, with what I do, is being able to take my client’s vision and see that through fruition, to be able to present them with the story that’s in their head,” explains Hoey. This same reasoning can also explain why in recent years Hoey has taken up personally styling celebrity clients herself, one of her most notable clients being actress Jennifer Lawrence.
Having been in business for around 17 years now, Hoey doesn’t see herself leaving anytime soon and with her own jewelry line in the works right now, she is taking steps to add to her retail space as well.
“I’ve taken some of the pieces that were in really high demand and I made them better,” says Hoey. “So, designing is the next chapter for me.”
Yet at the end of the day and looking back on all that she has achieved with her business, Hoey remains humble and kind, making the store feel inviting, especially with her two young daughters sitting nearby, playing together in the retail space.
“The energy here is incredible, it’s dynamic, it’s ever changing. You’re always learning, and everything has a story, it’s a rewarding process, meeting new people,” she says.
Images courtesy of: New York Vintage
