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Today my guest is Kristen Naiman, Chief Brand Officer of secondhand luxury resale platform The RealReal. Over the course of her career, Kristen has done just about every job in fashion. She started off as a stylist, working at Conde Nast’s ‘Sports for Women’ magazine, and then toured with the teenage band Hanson to help define their image.
She then moved to Nylon magazine where she worked as fashion editor, before joining GAP as a concept consultant in the late 90s. After that she returned to her roots as a stylist, working as a contributing fashion editor for Paper Magazine.
Kristen then joined Isaac Mizrahi, where she worked across a variety of roles, staying at the company for nearly 10 years. Her next role at Kate Spade similarly lasted almost a decade. And then, in January last year, she joined The RealReal.
In this episode, we discuss the 8 items of clothing that have shaped Kristen’s life and career so far. We also talk about why creativity is like a dinner party, how Kristen comes up with a good idea, our cultural obsession with brands, and insider tips for shopping on The RealReal. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
Shot by the lovely Luminarc Productions and edited by the brilliant Thomas Griffin of
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The piece that reminds Kristen of her childhood… an Armani suit, worn by her father
“I think both my parents were very interested in, and astutely aware of, the currency and language that clothing provided. They were using preppy dressing codes to fit in. But every once in a while, my dad would fall for something. And he always had kind of a cool about him. Even now, he's 82 years old and he looks a million bucks in a tuxedo.”
The piece that reminds her of her career… her black Lanvin dress
“So Isaac Mizrahi offered me a job to come work full-time for him. And to celebrate, he and his husband Arnold invited me and my ex-husband Keith out for dinner to La Grenouille. It all felt super grown-up, and I think that sometimes in a moment like that, you're like, ‘Am I going to dress for the place and the occasion or am I going to dress in a way that's truly myself?’
So I went out and bought this Audrey Hepburn black dress. Which is in some ways dressing for your audience - I was dressing for [Isaac] because I think that's such a big part of what his aesthetic is. It was dressing for the life I was stepping into.”
The piece that reminds her of a high… a brown Eres bathing suit
“I think the beach is the great equalizer in a lot of ways. Once you get to the beach, it's all good. Everyone looks a million bucks. There's something about a beach where everything is cool - and the more people just let it hang and let it be, the more natural and confident and gorgeous and authentic they look. And I think that the beach, for me, really represents that.”
The one that reminds her of a low… a Kenzo two-piece
“It was a really very transformative moment. You could see that I was going through something physically - divorce is intense in that way. And I think it was a moment of ushering in some kind of ‘next phase’. I bought this Kenzo outfit and I wore it through the next 10 years of my life.”
The piece that makes her feel part of something… her silk Hermès scarf
“I chose this Hermès scarf I have that was owned before me by Joan Didion. I think as time goes on, I have a more and more complicated relationship with Joan Didion and what she represents and how she thought about things. But I think that culturally, there was always a cult of women who loved Joan Didion, and you felt kindred immediately in knowing another Joan Didion lover.”
The piece that reminds her of a great party… vintage silk set
“The rhythm of fashion is more like a bunch of people sitting around at dinner party talking. You know, this person over here is talking and they've been talking for a really long time. And then this other person over here has been quiet and watching and studying the conversation. That person chimes in, and no-one's really heard from them in a while. And they say this really interesting original thing in a way that people notice. And so people’s eyes shift and they start paying attention to that person.”
The piece that makes her feel sexy… a cream silk shirt
“If I put on a drapey, cream-coloured silk shirt, I feel like myself and I feel unadorned, but in a way where I'm neither too covered, or not covered enough.”
The one that got away… an Attersee dress from The RealReal
“We’d done a shoot for some press stuff, and there was this Attersee dress that I loved that I wore. We sent all the clothes back in at the end of the shoot, and I was like, ‘Oh, I'm going to go buy that dress.’ And I waited literally 14 hours or something, checked back, and somebody already bought it!”
Subscribe to Threads of Conversation for more podcast episodes, interviews and essays. You can also follow Threads of Conversation on Instagram and TikTok. And if you enjoyed the episode, then hit the heart button!
Threads of the week
In full Victoria Beckham mode at my friend’s wedding last Friday. I’m wearing a secondhand Zac Posen jacket (yes, the one I got in New York) with a vintage Roland Mouret pencil skirt. I’m basically the version of myself I wanted to grow up to be, back when I was a fashion-obsessed teenager in the mid ‘00s ( aka. the Zac Posen/ Roland Mouret/ Victoria Beckham era).
Start your own Thread
What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought secondhand? Or the item of vintage that got away? And most importantly, who do you want to hear on the podcast next?
