Hawkeye Vintage is the luxury online store streamlining the secondhand shopping experience
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HAWKEYE VINTAGE
IMAGE VIA @hawkeyevintage/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY FELICE LOK
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Not everyone has a sharp eye for detail when it comes to fashion, let alone one which allows them to flourish as a business owner. But for Danielle Goodwin, it’s this skill that’s made her online business, Hawkeye Vintage, a go-to for preloved luxury handbags, accessories and clothing.
Through monthly Instagram live sales (keep your eyes peeled in October), a carefully-curated collection of these items from around the world find their way into the arms of new owners. As Danielle tells me, these virtual sales make buying preloved luxury an exhilarating experience.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
Hawkeye Vintage provides its customers with an accessible, affordable, and importantly, more considered and environmentally friendly, way to purchase luxury items. Below, Danielle shares her journey in starting Hawkeye Vintage, its upcoming live sale you should note down in your calendar and how you can join the fun.
Tell us a bit about your background in fashion and your passion for vintage items.
View this post on Instagram
I studied fashion and fabric design back in the day and was always interested in running my own business. I always had a passion for buying and reselling vintage gems – the thrill of the find and then the appreciation and love from a customer enjoying the item that took me time to find gave me such pleasure and excitement.
Why did you start Hawkeye Vintage?
I wanted to create a business that was sustainable and recycled-fashion-focused. [That] being said, I LOVE my luxury brands which may seem to be conflicting, so I worked out a way to bring both together [by] creating a business that is vintage with preowned recycled luxury items.
View this post on Instagram
I noticed there was a gap in the market for people that may not be able to afford to buy something brand new in the luxury store but could have that same thrill even if it was secondhand. I noticed this over 10 years ago and the excitement for me to be able to find, source [and] acquire preowned luxury goods then [be]came my full-time interest and passion.
Tell us about the Singapore Secret Society live sale in October. What will be happening?
We have access to a huge collection of preowned luxury goods from Singapore’s rich and famous (put it that way). We will host a live sale there with all the incredible luxury items, [using the] same system as we do here and we will ship all the customers’ orders to our office in Melbourne and dispatch them from here locally to save the customers’ shipping and duties charges.
How did you come up with the name?
My mum actually used to nickname me ‘hawkeye’ because when we would go sourcing, I would find and spot from afar the most amazing gems. I have a meticulous eye for rare details, styles and material things!
What’s the biggest challenge Hawkeye Vintage has faced so far?
Keeping up with the high demand and fast turnover! Our items are so incredible. They come in the door and super fast out the door within hours/days!
How do you think Hawkeye Vintage helps to alleviate fashion waste?
View this post on Instagram
In a huge way, we are allowing access for people to buy luxury goods at a fraction of the price, recycling items that are of high value but also of good quality and timeless classic styles. Over 10 years, we have somewhat educated the fashion market on vintage luxury products being resold [and] reused. We promote sustainability by not being wasteful of goods and promoting circular fashion. The old saying, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ is so true.
How do you choose which items to sell?
We choose things based on condition, desirability, resell value, brand, quality and more. By doing this it also helps our customers (if buying new or considering buying something new) [to] think savvier by [asking], ‘If I was to resell this, could I get my money back, make a profit, [and] would it increase in value?’. It gets you thinking [about] what to buy more carefully. If it’s an item that is fast-trending that may [quickly] come out of fashion (like a fad product), it may not be a good buy.
How do your monthly Instagram live sales work?
View this post on Instagram
We curate collections and source items from all over the world and local consignment within Australia. We put together our events (which pre-COVID-19 were in-person via a pop-up shop) live on Instagram. We have a kind of auction system but items are at a set price.
Once we show the items, people direct message us, ‘SOLD’, with the item number or description. We take the sale virtually and ship the item to the customer the following week. It’s super easy and seamless, and super exhilarating and fun! Often our customers will put the live stream on the TV and watch it like it’s a TV shopping channel.
Anything else to add?
We are currently accepting consignment Australia-wide (vintage and contemporary), and have an epic handbag giveaway for the Singapore sale!
Check out the Hawkeye Vintage collection here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
