Some say that diamonds are a girl’s best-friend. However, some might suggest that a Chanel jumbo flap or Celine luggage can be a much better companion and a much harder treasure to find.
The Closet is a Dubai-based store that started an inventive concept a few years ago. The innovative store is the region’s most prominent vintage hub that circulates the area’s most valuable vintage pieces and finds.
Hadeer Soliman is the vintage-loving lady behind Dubai’s leading boutique. Soliman and her team do not only share a great passion, but they also have a phenomenal eye for authenticity. Each and every piece goes under massive inspection and examining before being put on the shelf.
The extraordinary concept entered the Egyptian market through Zag store only a few months ago, and the idea became a massive hit that gathered top-notch ladies around one vintage Chanel purse right away.
Daily News Egypt met the founder to dig deeper into the beauty of vintage and the importance of fashion investment.
along with many vintage-loving ladies
(Photo from Instagram @zagstore)
What would make a woman choose a vintage piece over another that is brand new?
Bargain! We, women, love bargain deals and sale seasons. Our top-selling brands (Hermes, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton) never go on sale in their original flagship stores. Therefore, buying a vintage or a pre-owned item can sometimes help the ladies save up to 70%.
Furthermore, “old is gold”. I am a true believer in the power of vintage over the shine of recent production. Also, most of the high-end brands update their classic designs according to seasonal colors and trends, so if you are looking for a black or red Celine Luggage you will not be able to find it at any given Celine boutique.
How solid is vintage culture in the region?
In the last three years, the popularity of vintage started growing thanks to social media and fashion bloggers. I remember when I started back in 2010 in Dubai, my customers were mainly foreigners because they were familiar with the value of vintage finds. It took us some time to introduce the idea to the Arab region.
How does the assessment process go? Do you study each and every piece personally?
Each item is systematically and meticulously checked to guarantee compliance and authenticity. The assessment process is implemented and supervised by our authentication team, and I am involved as well for verification and studies. We delicately do the process before offering any piece for sale. Meanwhile, we provide our lifetime authenticity card. We pride ourselves with six years of trading with zero fake incidents and a smooth company-customer relationship.
(Photo from Instagram @zagstore)
What encouraged you to expand in Egypt now?
It is our goal to be known worldwide and we believe that the only way to make it possible is by expanding beyond the UAE. We believe that Egypt has great potential to embrace vintage. We also noticed that Egyptian ladies have an exquisite taste in style. They keep an eye out for fashion and new trends. We certainly aim to rock Egypt with our selection of items and collections.
How big is the vintage market in Egypt?
We believe that the vintage market in Egypt is still going through its early stages. However, we can already foresee big potential here. It is very similar to how we started in Dubai. It is a step by step procedure wherein we need to start by introducing the idea of vintage and pre-owned luxury.
What is next for The Closet in Egypt?
The Closet was founded with “Clean up your Closet” campaign, which aims to assist ladies in paying for their new must-haves from the items they already love. We are planning to apply the same concept in Egypt as well. We will start accepting items from Egyptians on a monthly basis. A member from our authentication and buying team will be visiting Egypt to meet up with ladies who are interested in selling with us.
