North Shore Exchange NFP (NSE) is a nonprofit luxury resale option for busy executives that has a growing national customer and consignor base. NSE ships fine jewelry, luxury handbags, and designer fashion nationwide. All items are authenticated.
If you’re traveling in the Chicago area, visit one of NSE’s three luxury boutiques at 900 N. Michigan Ave., in Chicago; 372 Hazel Ave. in Glencoe; or 1100 Central Ave, in Wilmette (opening mid-June 2022).
When you consign or shop at North Shore Exchange, NSE donates 100% of its profits to charities. More than $2.6 million has been donated to fight food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, and end the trauma of poverty.
In this article, NSE co-founder and CEO Wendy Serrino shares her tips, trends, and best practices in luxury resale today. Visit northshoreexchange.org to learn more!
Q1: What current fashion trends do you recommend the most?
There are big trends along with basics that every working woman needs, and you can combine them. One of the first trends is bright colors. We’re all emerging from our COVID cocoon and we want to be going out without masks, wearing big, bright colors.
Florals are on-trend, and yes, an executive woman can wear florals. Just keep it a little conservative at the C-Suite level, like a Dior floral scarf. Another trend to consider is flexibility — wear a great jacket over a dress or that pair of slacks. It’s so easy, and it instantly dresses up an outfit! Suits are supposed to come back, but we’ll see that more likely when people head back to the office. Even if you’re working from home doing back-to-back Zoom meetings with your team, a jacket makes your look feel finished. Voila!
Q2: What handbags are hot or not?
Gucci is hot, same with Louis Vuitton. Many designer handbags are hot right now. Every working woman needs a good handbag. One of the hallmarks of today’s working woman’s bag is that it fits her laptop. So, whether you’re going to a meeting or somewhere else, you need a bag that fits your laptop. Tote bags are classic for that, maybe from Kate Spade or Tory Burch, all the way up to the St. Laurent’s Tote from “Sac de Jour”. All the great designers have them and they come in beautiful designs. And they all come in fun colors!
Q3: Which jewelry should C-suite executives invest in now?
There are many great jewelry brands like David Yurman, Tiffany, Harry Winston plus designers like Chanel. Right now, unbranded is all the rage. Fine jewelry is 30% of our sales and we sell items online from $75 up to $23,000, so if you shop pre-owned, you can buy forever pieces. North Shore Exchange consignors have a lovely taste and a few fine jewelers sell via NSE to help the mission.
You can’t go wrong with a few classic, everyday pieces, which you only have to put on before you leave the house. David Yurman, Lagos, John Hardy, Marco Bicego, Lana; all of those brands have great jewelry which accentuates anything you wear. Layering jewelry is popular now – like florals, just don’t go overboard. Pearls are classic. Diamonds, emeralds, and sapphire tennis bracelets are selling. A daughter bought a Harry Winston ring for her mother this Mother’s Day. She got a great price buying pre-owned.
Q4: Is luxury resale’s popularity increasing? If so, why now?
Luxury goods are crazy expensive. Chanel has had three price increases in the last year, and a lot of other brands are following that trend. It gets to a point where it’s kind of ridiculous, and the only way to make them affordable is to make them pre-owned. Once you realize that, there are so many more products to work with! So many people have designer pieces. People have learned about resale and are delighted to be able to buy some of these things. The price differentials don’t hold their value anymore. People are also tired of fast fashion and its impact on climate change. Hard to believe, but fashion is the second-largest polluter in the world. Luxury and designer pieces are very well-made. So do you really need fast fashion when you can get a classic Akris jacket at a discount? By buying from luxury resale shops, you get to own beautiful pieces and help the planet, too. This small effort to do their part makes people happy.
Q5: Why is North Shore Exchange’s luxury consignor list growing?
NSE’s luxury consignor list is growing because we check all these boxes: one, we have really nice items, plus the sustainability and charitable parts of our brand. Also, we curate the products NSE showcases. We aim to delight the customer and consignor with our service. We have such a wonderful, dedicated group of people working on our mission, which excites people more to buy and consign with us!
Q6: For C-suite executives, what are the benefits of buying and consigning with North Shore Exchange?
You get to sell the things that you’re not using anymore and build your wardrobe in a more affordable way. It’s serendipitous shopping, where you come in looking for one thing and you leave with something else because it’s such a great deal. This happens for our online shoppers, too. Many shoppers are also consignors, and vice versa, and we all know that because 100% of NSE profits go to charity, it’s a win-win for all.
Q7: How do you consign with North Shore Exchange if you are out of town and a C-suite executive?
Call the store or send us an email at support@northshoreexchange.org or email me at wendy@northshoreexchange.org. Feel free to do a Zoom appointment if you’re out of town!
