Did you always have an interest in fashion?
I think it comes from my sister Beatrice. Since I was little, she’s always been in tune with what’s going on in the world. She studied French and art history in college, and then worked for museums and galleries. Just by being in proximity to her as her little brother, I’ve seen her appreciation for fashion and the arts in general.
But I grew up in San Diego, so I lived this very beach-oriented lifestyle—I’m sitting in my board shorts right now. So while I appreciate [fashion] as an art, I don’t know if it was necessarily something I actually applied to myself because, realistically, my favorite thing to do is wear board shorts and no shoes, that’s my dream.
When I graduated college, my first job was in politics. My dad is a college professor, so he knows how to dress for the occasion, and he was like, “You should go and get some tailoring, shirts, and pants that are actually meant for your body.” So I got my first-ever suit jacket, slacks, and button-up shirts. And wearing these clothes that were meant for me, fit me, and flowed, that’s when my addiction truly took form. So this life of being adjacent to the arts coupled with this newfound understanding of the beauty of wearing clothes that fit you and were meant for you … it was like game over. That’s my long-winded answer.
So what got you interested in bags, specifically?
I’ve always listened to a lot of rap music, especially A$AP Rocky. There’s a lot of interesting people in fashion and music, like Luka Sabbat and Kerwin Frost. A lot of them, when I was growing up on Tumblr, all had bags and Goyard trunks.
What was the first handbag you bought?
I went to the Goyard store on the Upper East Side, and I got the green tote with the zipper—this was only three years ago. It was my first major purchase. I had started my TikTok—thank God—and it changed my life, for the better. I remember that I told the sales associate, “Don’t give me the box, don’t give me the bag. I don’t want any of that.” And I walked from the Upper East Side down to The Standard Hotel, where I was staying, with the bag on my shoulder, and it was transformative. I was like, I’m addicted now.
Do you have any favorites in your collection?
I hate this question because they are my children. I think my Bottega Veneta Andiamo will forever hold a special place in my heart. I use it constantly because I’m traveling all the time, so the Andiamo comes with me every single time I travel. And as it continues to get beat up and scratched and thrashed, I just love it more and more. So my love for it grows. So there’s that.
How often are you shopping for a new bag?
I don’t know if there’s much cadence or ritual to it, which is maybe for the best. My life is often dictated by whatever day-to-day things fuel my passions. So some days it comes to me in bursts, and that’s when I allow myself to dive in. But, typically, when I’m in New York for work, that’s when most of my bag shopping happens. New York is very enabling, and you have access to a lot of incredible storefronts. But I’ll also hop onto my usual vintage websites (like outfitrepeater.co) maybe once or twice a month and just see what’s going on. And I have this feeling that I get, and when I get that feeling, that’s how I know I should buy a bag. I never buy a bag just because I like it.
