Lori Hirshleifer - Chanel, Maximalism, and a 100 Year Family Business

Explicit content warning

12/06/23 • 24 min

Today’s guest is Lori Hirshleifer, and if the name sounds familiar, that’s because her and her family run Hirshleifers, which has been in business for over 100 years. Hirshleifers has been described as the “last great department store” and that’s because it is. There’s something different about Hirshleifers when you walk through the front doors, and maybe it’s the Kith Treats outpost, or the fact that they have the only non-Chanel owned boutique in the US, or maybe it’s the vintage watch drops mixed with their new Sporty & Rich partnership, coupled with a Youngs Farm cafe. Whatever is, the 4th generation team has it figured out. And as for Lori? Being that she heads up the buying and merchandising, you can just imagine that her taste is pretty impeccable. From handbags and shoes, to jewelry and watches, and even a Chrome Hearts ephemeral collection, she’s a maximalist and does it with the utmost class and elegance. Like all of us, she’s constantly on the hunt and I always look forward to seeing what sneaks its way into her collection. So without further adieu, this is Lori Hirshleifer, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Hirshleifers - https://hirshleifers.com/
Lori's Instagram - @lorihirshleifer

Previous Episode

Tristan Walker - Vintage Cartier, Black Cool & the Edge of Culture

Tristan Walker may be new to the collecting scene, but if the name sounds familiar, well, that’s because he sold company Walker & Company (makers of the grooming brand Bevel) to Procter & Gamble and sits on the board of companies like Shake Shack and Footlocker. Tristan’s approach to collecting is very similar to the way he runs his companies, and consistency is the name of the game. His passion for collecting is ever growing and he’s making the right relationships along the way. Our text chain is nothing short of a year's worth of watch purchases, books, and some good banter between the two of us. My favorite part about Tristan’s collection? If you put 10 collectors in a room, not a single one of us would ever guess what’s sitting in his watch box, and I have the pictures to prove it. It’s not just what’s sitting at home that makes him a great collector, it’s the fact that he has a great eye for design and you can see it in the products he’s created. At the end of the day, the guy just gets it. Alright, I am excited and honored to introduce to you, my friend, Tristan Walker, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Tristan's Instagram - https://instagram.com/tristanwalker?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Bevel - https://getbevel.com/
Walker & Company - https://walkerandcompany.com/
How I Built This w/ Tristan Walker - https://www.npr.org/2019/09/25/764355017/live-episode-walker-company-tristan-walker

Next Episode

Chase Pion - Beyond the Bezel: Unveiling Tech Innovation with the Co-Founder of GetBezel.com

It’s not often that a collector starts a company within the hobby they love the most. Although it seems commonplace, for many of us, collecting is what we love to do when we have some free time. But that hobby turned business couldn’t be more true than with my guest today, Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, the online watch marketplace that secured investment from the likes of John Legend, Kevin Hart, Steve Aoki, Michael Rubin, and many more. But as a lot of entrepreneurs do, Bezel started out of vexation. Chase and his co-founders were quite exhausted from the lack of transparency and authentication services in the watch industry, so they sought out to fix it. Needless to say, their personal collecting continues on, now with the helping hand of the platform they built. Alright, this is Chase Pion, co-founder of Bezel, for Collectors Gene Radio.
Bezel - https://shop.getbezel.com/