Meta Sasmita
Meta is one of our suppliers who has been with us for years. She's a style icon and jet-setter who has sold her designer items to us from France, Netherlands, England, Indonesia, Australia and Canada. Today we ask her about her tips for buying $0 designer bags and curating her own unique style.
We LOVE your sense of self and style. How would YOU describe your personal style?
I think my style is eclectic. I don't really follow trends and only wear things that are not only comfortable but flattering to my body type. If there's one thing I'm known for it's most probably prints and colours. While I have basic staples in neutral colours in my wardrobe, I love printed blouses, dresses and as you would know, matching sets! I've sold a number of matching co-ords to M&Y over the years. They're great as you can wear them together to create a more bold look and when I'm trying to be a bit more "normal" then I would pair either the top or bottom with something more neutral.
Since you've sold to us from around the globe, what are your tips for selling to Mine & Yours?
If you're unsure on how much you can get for your items, you can take pictures and send them for a preliminary quote so that way you can calculate how much you'll receive in cash, trade credit or if consignment is a better option for you. If I have my eye on a high ticketed item and my store credit isn't enough to cover it, I'll continue to trade in more things so that when I finally have enough credit, it'll be a direct trade which means you'll pay no taxes. Win win!
With trading credit you were able to purchase multiple bags from Mine & Yours for $0, what are some of your favourites?
There have been so many good ones that it's hard to choose! If I had to pick a top three, it would be the Hermes Roulis ostrich bag, the Chanel water boy bag and the one that surprisingly I use most often despite living in a tropical country: the Chanel shearling backpack I recently got from M&Y
Shop Meta's Closet
How do you balance a love for fashion with sustainability?
I've always loved thrifting. I have no issues buying and wearing second hand items when it was still looked down on years and years ago. Not only you'll save heaps of money, you can also find rare items that you might have missed out on. Instead of going crazy at a fast fashion store, it's much better to splurge on a higher quality item that will get more wear over time. Don't get me wrong, I still shop at Zara but am a bit more mindful of what I buy. The prices at these fast fashion stores have become astronomical lately so if you're lucky, you can find a pre-loved designer item for even less than what you would be paying for a brand new blazer at Zara.
Imagine you're on a desert island, what 3 bags are you bringing to keep you company?
Unpopular opinion but out of all the bags I own, my Longchamp bag gets the most use. I wear it pretty much daily. It fits a lot of things and is also waterproof so it'll come in handy to keep things dry and to carry coconuts and things around the island. My Bottega Veneta Jodie fur bag would be uplifting to stare at but it's also handy to use as a pillow.My Chanel baby animal flap bag and I would most probably name each animal charm as a Wilson- Castaway situation and have "friends" to talk to. SOS.
You recently came to visit our Yaletown location for the first time ever. How was your experience?
I've been to the Howe location before but the Davie store was a new experience for me and I was blown away. I've seen pictures of the bag wall before but it's even more amazing in person. Dream closet ideas for sure. However, the ultimate highlight of my trip was meeting the whole M&Y team and coming home with a whole brand new familyIt was nice to finally put names to faces and everyone is a major vibe. I'm incredibly in awe of Courtney and the amazing team she's created over the years and am super grateful to be a part of the M&Y family over the years.
"At the end of the day, when you're comfortable in what you wear, you'll radiate that energy out to the world, and it's visible, trust me. "
