When it comes to the upstate fashion scene, practical pieces like sturdy boots and effortless basics typically reign supreme. As anyone who has moved here from a major city can tell you, however, that means their closets often become treasure troves of high-fashion pieces that rarely get to see the light of day. For fashionable folks in the Hudson Valley, MOD.VIN, a curated Kingston fashion boutique that carries vintage and modern pieces from renowned design houses, is the local designer consignments matchmaker they’ve been looking for.
“High-fashion consignments do well in our area even though people generally have a different way of dressing,” says Erica Marquez, owner of MOD.VIN. “We had this gorgeous tail coat from the Jean Paul Gaultier 2018 fall couture collection that the owner didn’t think that anyone would actually buy (because who needs a tail coat upstate), but we sold it to someone who was thrilled to find it in our store.”
Tucked away on Broadway in Kingston’s historic Rondout waterfront district, MOD.VIN has carved out a niche in the local fashion scene as one of the only boutiques in the region that focuses on designer clothing.
The store’s inventory includes both modern and vintage women’s clothing and accessories from renowned design houses such as Versace, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Gucci, and Poiret alongside one-of-a-kind pieces worn at red carpet events or from the personal wardrobes of celebrities such as Julianne Moore, Courtney Cox, the late Natalie Cole, and actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Marquez, who started MOD.VIN after years of amassing her own impressive collection of designer, couture, and high-quality modern and vintage clothing, takes a discerning, high-touch approach to all of the shop’s consignments. To appeal to the diverse tastes of her shoppers, her team sources a combination of special pieces like the Gaultier tail coat and a one-of-a-kind 1998 Chanel Haute Couture gown as well as everyday wear, such as a recently sold hand-knit sweater by Linda Mendelson, a wearable fiber artist whose pieces are in the collections of The Met and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others.
After assessing whether an item fits within the store’s inventory, the MOD.VIN team styles and photographs every piece, often working with professional photographers and models to bring the item’s intricate details to life. All consignments are featured in-store and on the shop’s website, and items priced over $1,000 are also listed at 1st Dibs.com. Unlike many of the national online-only designer consignment stores, MOD.VIN never puts consignment items on sale.
“If something isn’t selling, we will have a conversation with the owner about pulling the item and remarketing it during another season, or returning it,” says Marquez. “People hold onto a lot of wonderful pieces because they don’t trust that they will resale at the price they purchased them for, but we put in a lot of care and attention and have seen a lot of success.”
MOD.VIN
61 Broadway
Kingston, New York 12401
Weekends 12-6pm, by Chance or by Appointment
(845) 481-4641
MOD.VIN
