Smitten luxury makes "pre-loved" new again

Alyssa Deaborn T he business of reselling has been growing in popularity over the past couple years, especially when it comes to vintage and preloved–or used–items. Nicole Praetorious – Jamesville native and owner of Smitten Luxury – professionally resells preloved designer bags through her online store and popup events. She is not surprised that reselling and consignment businesses have become more popular.

“I think the resell market has kind of exploded for a few reasons.” Nicole said, “I think sustainability is one side of it, however, I don’t think that’s the main driver. I think that’s a perk. I think people are very excited to get designer pieces under-retail. I think there’s also an appreciation of getting away from the idea of just thrift stores. I love thrift stores, but I think we’re trying to make it so it’s not just ‘used’ - it’s ‘preloved’. It’s seen as more of an opportunity to get something sustainable, under-retail, and unique.”

Her own appreciation for preloved fashion began with her love for estate jewelry. It was her own collection of vintage jewelry that inspired Smitten Luxury’s concept.

“A lot of my jewelry is estate jewelry. I love preloved everything, but I started with jewelry,” she explained. “I started doing a lot of consignment shopping. I love consignment stores and I actually worked in a designer consignment store in Florida for a few years. I just kind of got into it that way. I think of it almost

as rotating my closet. And then from there I realized that yes, I loved jewelry, but my real love was handbags. While I do love fashion in general, growing up and even now, a lot of the time clothes weren’t meant for my body type. With handbags, I find that they’ll fit multiple different body types.”

The process of operating a successful resell business involves much more than shopping for new inventory. Much of Nicole’s time is spent researching and continuously educating herself about the pieces she finds.

“Usually, I start the day by authenticating, photographing, looking over specific wear-and-tear on pieces, and then I do a lot of research on unique pieces. There’s a lot of pieces that everyone might be familiar with, then if you think about it, these fashion houses have been around. Like Louis Vuitton has been around since the 1800’s, not that I’ve seen a bag from then, but I’ve seen bags from the 1980’s. So I spend a lot of time researching the heritage of these pieces.”

And although she does not spend her entire work time shopping, sourcing new inventory is still one of the most important parts of Nichole’s business.

“I source all the time. I’m constantly looking for new inventory. Hunting things down is a lot of work on my part. Sometimes I feel like a professional shopper, which is not as glamorous as I wish it could be.”

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We offer alteration services, shoe dyeing and Touchstone jewelry by Swarovski. We sell top-quality formal wear to fit every budget!

• bridal gowns • bridesmaid dresses • mother of the bride gowns • first communion dresses • prom/ball gowns • cocktail dresses • floor length gowns • flower girl dresses • headpieces • shawls • shoes • jewelry • handbags (315) 638.5200 • 4 West Genesee St., Baldwinsville syracuseblissbridal.com Hours: By appointment for your safety. Please call for an appointment!

“For me it’s about interacting with customers, talking, learning from them and just having these pieces go from one amazing owner to the next." — Nicole Praetorious

Although she laughed when she called herself a professional shopper, the reality is that running a business like hers involves a lot of time, knowledge, and hard work. Despite the efforts needed to run her business, Nicole loves what she is able to do with preloved fashion.

“I love the heritage of it. I love the research of it.” she said, “I get excited when I have a super unique piece. It’s a really cool way to see these heritage pieces in my hands. And it’s actually good for sustainability, using and wearing preloved and keeping those pieces that are already made in circulation.”But the most rewarding part of her work is interacting with customers to find people their perfect bag.

“For me it’s about interacting with customers, talking, learning from them and just having these pieces go from one amazing owner to the next. I always get excited when someone finds their dream bag through me. And it could be from last year or it could be 20 years old. It’s a really cool thing to see people’s eyes light up and introduce them to that preloved world.”

If you are interested in seeing what designer handbags Nicole currently has in her inventory, you can either take a look at her website–http://www.smittenluxury.com/index.html–or plan to attend her next pop-up event. Nichole will be bringing Smitten Luxury to Fashion 101 in Baldwinsville on Feb. 10 for a Valentine's Day themed pop-up. SWM