Winnie Harlow grew up round automobiles. Though she did not get her exact driving force’s license till ultimate yr—”my mom is such a horrible driver, so I was terrified to drive,” Harlow tells me on a Zoom name forward of the Miami Grand Prix—her father’s occupation as a mechanic ended in a life-long love for going rapid. “In Jamaica, I was driving since I was a kid,” she says, sitting on her dad’s lap and using at the back of him on his bike.
Years later, now not so much has modified, a minimum of in relation to Harlow’s hobby on the earth of vehicles. She’s shut buddies with one among, if now not probably the most recognizable abilities in all of motorsport, Lewis Hamilton, leading to widespread visits to the Formula 1 paddock to turn her give a boost to. “My dad is also a fan of F1, and I just enjoy the energy of the sport, as well as the energy of being a fan and being around the fans,” she says. Austin, Monaco, Las Vegas—she exams off F1 race venues like the general public do duties on their day by day to-do lists. Her newest song? Miami, the place she partnered up with eBay to curate antique appears to be like for the race weekend, all of which are actually being auctioned off to boost cash for a motive just about Harlow’s middle. The proceeds from her curated number of race-ready items—together with Galliano Dior, ‘90s Moschino, antique Cartier, and uncommon Gucci that each one have a beginning bid of simply $57 (a nod to the selection of laps drivers finished on race day)—will get advantages Vitiligo Support International. “Being blessed enough to be at a place in my life where I can highlight things that are really important to me is a gift,” Harlow says.
(Image credit score: Courtesy of eBay)
The assortment, eBay’s Guaranteed Fit Drop assortment, used to be curated in collaboration with {the marketplace}’s Resident Stylist, Brie Welch, additionally identified for her longtime styling partnership with Katie Holmes. The duo spent weeks scouring eBay’s apparently unending Authenticity Guarantee variety with the intention to supply the easiest items for Harlow’s race-weekend ensembles. There’s a antique Gucci LBD with a leather-based halter neck, in addition to a S/S 2004 Roberto Cavalli minidress. Rhude red-leather racing pants, a spring 2010 Moschino moto jacket, and Vetements reversible denims also are staples of the gathering. “It’s really hard for me to choose,” Harlow says once I ask her to pick out favorites. “They all have a different vibe to them.”
Welch and Harlow are true style veterans with years of revel in looking for (and dressed in) antique and various guidelines and methods for navigating the huge international of eBay. “For me, the most important thing when shopping online is making sure to look at measurements as well as sizing, because something could look so cute, but if you buy from someone who is in a different place in the world, their sizing might be different,” Harlow says. Welch, an eBay consumer for over a decade, suggests using Authenticity Guarantee distributors. “If I find a vendor that has one item I like, I’ll click on that vendor, and they’re probably going to have a whole slew of other things from that same collection [or brand],” she says. Plus, as soon as you could have finished some looking out, the steered pieces on the backside of the web page change into extra customized for your pursuits. “From there, it’s like a fun spiral—like a death spiral—of fashion,” says Welch. “But it’s all pre-loved, so you know you’re making a difference.”
- Measurements > Numerical Sizes
- Utilize Authenticity Guarantee Vendors
- Explore Suggested Items
- Be Specific
- Avoid Buzzy Brands and Items
Being as explicit as conceivable is every other tip Welch swears through. “Not putting in ‘Versace bags,'” however as a substitute “tightening your search parameters,” she says. She additionally suggests searching for manufacturers that don’t seem to be turning over at a prime fee. For example, she has been sourcing Alberta Ferreti to satiate her hobby in boho style as a substitute of Chloé, given how ubiquitous Chloé’s been since Chemena Kamali made her debut for the French logo. That means, you continue to get high quality dressmaker items with none of the surge pricing related to virality.
(Image credit score: Courtesy of eBay)
Tips like those permit eBay’s race-weekend assortment to seem how it does—filled with uncommon, distinctive items that now not simply someone has. Harlow’s closet is flush with reveals like that too, however they take looking out, now and again even for years. “I’ve those truly gorgeous Christian Dior boots. They’re purple with gold detailing of [that says] CD at the knees,” she tells me. “I’ve been looking for these boots for about four years, and I haven’t been able to find my size,” she continues. “I actually didn’t find my size—I opted for a size smaller, because everything has been like, three, four, or five sizes small—but I found one [pair] that was one size smaller, and I just went for it.” Ecstatic is the phrase she used to explain that feeling. “I was so happy when they came in,” she says.
Right now, till May 12, when the auctions formally finish, you’ll succeed in that very same feeling of achievement and pleasure through bidding on a work (or extra) from Welch and Harlow’s Miami Grand Prix Guaranteed Fit Drop assortment. A brand new-to-you pair of Celine wedge boots? Clip-on earrings from the ’80s? Gucci slingbacks? They’re considering the taking presently on eBay. Let ultimate weekend’s on-track motion release your aggressive spirit. Bidding wars are inspired, if now not assured.