From the runway to real life! Gianna Corvino, founder of The NY Archive, is bringing her collection down the catwalk and straight into your closet this New York Fashion Week.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, from 12 to 2 p.m. ET, the vintage expert is teaming up with eBay for a fashion show at her NYC showroom, where models, influencers, and tastemakers will strut their stuff in 40 hard-to-get looks that shoppers can snag within seconds.
“We’re not taking The NY Archive out of its world and putting it onto a traditional runway; we’re transforming the Archive itself into one. The entire landscape of the showroom becomes the backdrop with cheetah-print ceilings, pink shelving filled with designer pieces, our pink-and-chrome pool table, and walls lined with vintage. We’re layering in florals, runway seating, lighting, music, and a full-scale production,” Corvino tells ET.
And while an invite would certainly be cool, you won’t need one to get in on the fun. The vintage haven is hosting a live shopping experience with eBay, meaning fashion lovers everywhere can tune in, bid, and potentially take home a piece from the runway.
“Guests will come in as the live gets started and we’ll move into the first runway of 20 looks, ending with a big finale. Then, we’ll have an intermission, turn over the room for a new group of guests, and come back with another 20 looks and another show,” she explains.
“We’re taking something that’s historically been incredibly exclusive and asking what happens when you open it up and let people actually participate. … There will be this incredibly intimate Fashion Week experience happening inside our showroom, but you don’t need an invitation or a front-row seat to be part of it.”
So, consider your couch the hottest spot in the house.
As for what fashion fans can expect to see, Corvino is looking to the women who already know and love The NY Archive for inspiration.
“The looks are reflective of the girls who actually come into The NY Archive and the vendors who are part of our collective,” she notes.
“I really wanted the styling to feel like an extension of the women who already exist within our world.”
And it’s a pretty chic universe to be part of. The NY Archive has attracted celeb fans including Tate McRae, PinkPantheress, Lily Rabe, Iris Apatow, and more.
“There are some really extraordinary pieces including archival Cavalli, full mink coats, intricately beaded Blumarine dresses, and Moschino runway pieces. … You’ll see Cavalli, Blumarine, Moschino, Dior, Prada, Miu Miu, Manolo Blahnik and so many others,” she adds.
Translation: Prepare to want everything.
“There’s glamour, maximalism, humor, and moments that are a little unexpected. Some girls are incredibly polished, some are sexier, some are more eccentric. … It’s not just finding a beautiful dress. It’s finding the dress that works for that girl, with the right shoe, the right accessories, and making the entire look make sense. … I want every look to feel like you could imagine the woman wearing it and want to know where she’s going afterward.”
But if you spot something you love? Don’t spend too long thinking about it.
“Because it’s vintage, there often isn’t another one. Once somebody buys it, it’s theirs. That gives the runway this energy that you just don’t have when you’re watching a collection that won’t hit stores for another six months,” she shares.
And some lucky shoppers could even score a major fashion find for less than a cup of coffee.
“We’re doing special drops, which start at $1 throughout the Live. … A girl can walk down the runway in an incredible archival look and someone watching on eBay Live can buy that exact piece in that exact moment.”
Talk about instant gratification.
For Corvino, though, the real appeal goes beyond scoring a designer item. It’s about finding something that feels entirely your own.
“People are craving individuality again. We’re exposed to so much fashion now and trends move so quickly that it’s very easy for everyone to end up wearing some variation of the same thing. There’s something incredibly satisfying about finding a piece that you aren’t going to see on ten other people.”
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