Inside Patti and Joanne Pao’s Hard-to-Beat Chanel Collection

These days, TikTok is an endless void where you can scroll for hours: You might stumble upon a cute get-ready-with-me video followed by an adorable clip of a socially awkward dog. But one of our favorite things on the app is discovering the serious shoppers—or VICs—who exist amongst all of the celebrities and fashion influencers out there. In the depths of TikTok, you’ll now find collectors who have been amassing specific fashion pieces, or following certain designers, for years—and better yet, we now get to peek inside their one-of-a-kind wardrobes.

Take the mother-daughter duo Patti and Joanne Pao, who are fast going viral on TikTok thanks to their hard-to-beat, second-to-none Chanel collection. As of today, the duo has amassed over 114,000 followers and 2.7 million likes on the app, where they often share their assortment of rare Chanel tweed jackets, special edition shoes, and, of course, the covetable bags that they have acquired over the years—ranging from the Karl Lagerfeld era to the current Matthieu Blazy reign.

Shopping for Chanel is something that has bonded the mother and daughter: It’s basically become a family sport at this point. Their fascination with the French label began back in the 1980s, while Joanne was working as a librarian (Patti is now the founder of the skincare brand Restorsea), and met Karl Lagerfeld at a store appearance in Taipei. “We started buying many pieces,” says Patti, who is now based in Houston along with her mother.

The collection has since grown to epic levels. On the bag front, they have classic quilted flaps, sequined styles, and neon-green boy bags; they own classic summer dresses and tweed skirt-suit sets, too, not to mention some incredible vintage Chanel pearls (which they will sometimes model on their beloved cats, Max and Peter). TikTok has become obsessed with their Chanel-clad outfits, proving that great style—and a good dose of double-Cs—comes at any age.

Intrigued by what else is in their covetable collection? Below, watch highlights from their TikTok account. Plus, Patti weighs in on their favorite pieces, go-to bags, and what else is on their wish list. (Hint: Patti has her eyes on a hard-to-get fall 2026 bag.)

We love both of your incredible Chanel collections. When did this start for both of you?
We started seriously collecting in 1985 when my mom, Joanne, saw Karl Lagerfeld at a personal appearance at the Far Eastern Department Store in Taipei, Taiwan. My mom lived in Seattle, and we started buying many pieces from the Chanel boutique at Nordstrom downtown. Now, we purchase most of our pieces from sales associate Kiet Chiu at the Houston Galleria Chanel boutique.

How many Chanel pieces would each of you guess you own today?
A lot. . .

What are a few of your all-time favorite items?
My mom, Joanne, loves her pink “Barbie” long-sleeve jacket, and her multicolor jacket. She also loves her corduroy and pearl motorcycle boots, and her everyday cork heel platform sandals. I love my Swarovski crystal camellia. They showed it on the Métiers ready-to-wear [runway], but made very few by special order.

Is jewelry a big focus of your collection?
My mom loves her long beaded jet black necklace. I call it the cursed necklace, because every time I wear it, it breaks. She also loves her CC pearl choker, because it is easy to wear and travel with.

What Chanel piece in your closet has the most interesting story?
My mom’s leather suit was [first] ordered by the figure skater Tanya Harding. She changed her mind, so it was offered to my mom. My mom says it had to be altered. Mine is a piece from Virginie Viard’s Métiers collection. The jacket has hand-embroidered paillettes that are 3-D. A work of art, but you can’t really sit down for fear of crushing them.