New Trend: Rich Americans Pay Thousands of Dollars for Luggage Packing
'19.07.2018'
Source: New York Post
For Illis Dolginas, planning a vacation to an exotic country is a great excuse to go through your wardrobe and pick the best. But a busy mother and real estate lawyer admits she simply doesn't have time to shop, study trends, and whatever else matters when choosing things to travel.
“If it only depended on me, my closet would be filled with black dresses of the same color and style,” says 49-year-old Dolginas. So when Illis, a resident of the Upper West Side, thinks about going to a hot country like Greece, she resorts to heavy artillery: she calls a professional stylist to help her pack and pack her suitcases, says New York Post.
This makes the task much easier, says Dolginas, who is now working with stylist Stephanie Tricol on choosing light and aerial images for family vacations in Nantucket, Massachusetts, next month:
“The confidence in working with someone I know, trust, and really love her sense of style is just great.”
The richest Americans can speed-dial their stylists and spend thousands of dollars having professionals monitor the contents of their closets. For these clients, it is not uncommon for them to change their wardrobe multiple times before heading to a glamorous location. If a wealthy person is going to Saint-Barts, Saint-Tropez or Paris, he turns to a stylist - and, voila, on every trip he will look perfect, even in a photo on Instagram, even on the cover of a glossy magazine.
“It usually starts with a vacation or a big event that prompts a person to hire a stylist for the first time,” says Tricola, who works with Chrissy Teigen, Kimball Musk, Priyanka Chopra and Vanessa Hudgens.
She began working with Dolginas in 2003, when a lawyer planned her wedding and the next honeymoon in Australia. When the stylist is not engaged in celebrities, she returns to less well-known, but no less wealthy clients around the world and even sews clothes for them on their own.
"Some of them have planes and yachts."
This is what Tricola says about clients who either pay her an hourly fee or keep her on the line. With the help of an expert, clients often spend between $ 5 and $ 20 on vacation clothing. “Many times I have provided them with the right wardrobe — all they had to do was get on board an airplane or yacht with the full set of clothing they might need, from socks to tuxedos.”
Chad McVinni, a Denver real estate developer, owns an 100-foot yacht and constantly uses the services of Tricol. Depends on her for this service.
“I was in Spain for two weeks, and even before the trip I could say:“ This is where I’m going, this is what I’ll do, ”and she sent me these boxes with things,” says McVinnie, who was introduced to Tricola by his friend Kimbal Musk.
The stylist provides not only a complete wardrobe for the holidays, but also sends him quarterly the most fashionable, trendy and perfect things and accessories for the occasion.
The father of two teenage daughters has a budget that is far from the average. He admires Tricola's selection of apparel from top designers including Saint Laurent, Gucci and Maison Margiela. “I really don't have a budget as such,” he admits.
“I will choose and leave what I want. If I was thinking about the amounts, I would assume I spend between $ 5 and $ 000 per quarter with Stephanie's help. "
This kind of expense is not uncommon, according to Amanda Sanders, personal shopper and image consultant based in Manhattan. She charges between $ 250 and $ 350 per hour, depending on the service, and regularly sees her “high-end clients” pay $ 10 for brand new travel wardrobes. According to her, in recent years, the stylist has received more and more orders for choosing clothes for travel, most likely due to the popularity of Instagram: "Everyone wants to show how good his life is."
Sanders takes his clients shopping and then, after wardrobe approvals, packs and documents them. “I literally buy them luggage. Then I put my things, put them in my bags and make a list of everything there is: three new pairs of thongs, a T-back bra, a blue denim jacket, etc. ”.
And if the stylist doesn't, then someone else will.
Barbara Reich is a professional organizer assistant also based in Manhattan. She doesn't buy clothes, but she efficiently packs bags and suitcases for $ 350 an hour. Clients of all kinds often need a little guidance on this, she says.
“Let's say the stylist has already bought them clothes, but not everything is planned to be taken on one trip. Some things will go on vacation, others will go to the house in the Hamptons, and some need to be sent to Aspen ... It all gets a little more complicated. ”
According to Sanders, the desire of rich people to take off some of the responsibilities is what keeps her in business. After all, a vacation - whatever the destination - should be carefree and joyful.
“Once you hire a stylist, you become addicted to him,” says Sanders. "Time is money, so it's best to trust someone to help you feel fully prepared for anything."
