Seven years ago, Michelle Wendell, then a cardiac perfusionist who had studied at Ohio State, scored a few serious deals at a Barney’s New York Warehouse sale, posted them on eBay and sold them within days for five times what she had paid. Hooked, she cleaned out her own closet, flush with vintage designer gowns and cool party wear, styled the pieces, and hung out her sale shingle again. This time, she styled the head-turning items on fashionably attired mannequins and sold every piece on the first listing. Sensing a profitable pattern, Wendell turned up the shopping dial, hitting up sample sales of her designer friends, and combing vintage shops and yard sales in Bel Air. She even began to liquidate major designers overstock, a strategy fashion designers have welcomed enthusiastically during the recent economic downturn.
“Every penny of the sales went back into amassing more and more amazing fashions to sell in my eBay store,” she says. And so was born Chic Little Devil, an eBay store selling clothing and accessories from top designer and contemporary brands.
In early 2007, Wendell opened Chic Little Devil Stylehouse on Maple Avenue in Los Angeles. Housed in a 10,000 square foot penthouse in downtown Hollywood and brimming with over 40,000 pieces of clothing from top designers, Chic Little Devil Stylehouse is Hollywood’s largest fashion resource for stylists, costume designers, celebrities, photographers, and models.
But keeping Hollywood starlets like Stephanie Pratt and Minka Kelly, music royalty and indie icons including Juliette Lewis (below, right) in carefully curated pieces is only one branch of Chic Little Devil. Wendell also saw a need within the industry that dovetailed perfectly with her extensive fashion archive: a one-stop production facility with studio services (makeup, professional stylist, photographer), which opened in the spring of 2008. Going forward, “Our biggest projects for 2010 will be providing designer public relations, which means we’ll offer more new, emerging and cutting edge designers in our eBay store,” she says. “And we’re also going to carry menswear!”
Minka Kelly (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Juliette Lewis (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) at different events in Beverly Hills, CA this month, both styled by Chic Little Devil Stylehouse.
That 95 percent of Chic Little Devil’s stock is for sale on eBay not only gave Wendell’s startup an edge but also continues to open up her customer base to folks beyond the Hollywood community. “Ebay is a global marketplace, so it helps keep stock moving,” she says. “One of the main things that Chic Little Devil has over other stylist resources is a fast turnover rate and always something amazingly fresh to look at. I can take on more risky pieces since it will be seen the world over, increasing the chances that the one perfect buyer for that rare item will find it.” These days, her eBay store has about 10,000 items listed at any time from over 200 lines (among the brands with the highest inventory in the store today are Corey Lynn Calter, Current Elliott, Diabless and assorted vintage pieces) and ships up to 500 packages per month worldwide. She sells pieces that have been worn by Ashley Olsen, Rachel Bilson, Juliette Lewis, Shayne Lamas, the Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna and a host of others.
Chic Little Seller Tips
To current and potential eBay sellers, Wendell emphasizes that styling and photography can make a big difference in dollars in your pocket. "Fashion is not just about one piece but an over all affect," she says. "Case and point? When selling my favorite finds, I have the team work the piece into an outfit so it has more relevance to the everyday. Take this Dolce & Gabbana cashmere sweater (buy it now price, $169, above left). By adding a few key pieces such as a necklace and motorcycle gloves, a classic sweater takes on a whole new meaning." Similarly, be sure to take as many pictures as possible, and at the right angles. "Items like these to-die-for Giambattista Valli Platforms (buy it now price, $349.30, above center) would never sell without taking the right pictures. I have my team take as many close ups as possible and link to supersize images so there is never a doubt in my client’s mind."
Finally, Wendell is a bag fan of the "Buy it Now" option: "I can’t tell you how many emails I get from my clients that have not been able to win that sought after item because they waited until the last minute and were out-bid. That’s why I always have a "Buy It Now" for all my items because I know personally of the heartbreak that comes with finally finding that perfect piece only to lose out on it because there was not enough time. When I found this $9000+ Alexander McQueen tribal fringe dress (buy it now price, $720, above right) in London, I knew I simply had to have it. At a fraction of the price, what girl wouldn’t want to take it home?"
Chic Little Favorite Finds
Micha Design Mult-Layer Binns Chain Bracelet (buy it now price, $68); Gordana Chain Blue Brooch Necklace (buy it now price, $300)
Vintage Robert Wagner Raffinati Jacket (buy it now price, $228); Manoush Satin Blazer Jacket (buy it now price, $196.80)
Yaya Aflalo Striped Cardigan (buy it now price, $138); Diabless High Waist Sailor Pants (buy it now price, $228)
Amy Flurry is a freelance writer and style editor whose work has been featured in Lucky, Refinery 29, InStyle, Conde Nast Traveler, O @ Home, Four Seasons magazine, House Beautiful, Country Living, and The Atlantan.
