Like Coco Chanel, Christina Samoylov is a bit of a maverick.

At 23, Christina set up an eBay shop in 2011—a then-newfangled approach to selling vintage wares—and sold goods as a side hustle while she pursued a degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

To stock her eBay shop, Christina would scour Los Angeles thrift stores and auction off her lucky finds. But, to really scale her business into a full-time gig, Christina carved out a niche for herself and zeroed in on vintage Chanel handbags and jewelry. Christina’s venture received an incredible boon after an avid Chanel collector approached Christina asking for help to consign a Chanel collection, valued at—wait for it—$2 million.

Since that fortuitous encounter, Christina has moved off eBay and built her business, Designer Vault, a partnering TrueFacet vendor. Designer Vault is regarded as the premier online consignment shop for authentic vintage Chanel pieces. By personally handling, authenticating, and valuating hundreds of vintage Chanel pendants, earrings and brooches, Christina has become a veritable expert in her field.

We spoke with Christina to pick her brain about her top style tips, investing in vintage, and how she upholds the rebellious spirit of Coco Chanel.

Which vintage Chanel pieces are trending right now?
Necklaces are coming back. For a while they weren’t selling as well, but now they’re really making a comeback, whereas brooches were [previously] really hot sells and now they’re slowly tapering off. I feel like when fall comes around, people are more interested in necklaces as festive pieces, especially the pearls and CC necklaces.

What would you recommend as an investment-worthy vintage Chanel piece?
If you’re looking for a real investment piece, I would say a bracelet or a brooch. A CC brooch never goes out of style, regardless of when it was made. And, for bracelets, a Chanel 7 Icon Charm Bracelet is my favorite. Throughout my experience, this is the one bracelet that consistently sells at the same price; there’s no variance on it. It’s just a classic Chanel staple piece that you’ll treasure forever. 

Which item do you wear every day?
I’m addicted to brooches and my favorite is the “Little Monsters” brooch (which is exactly what it looks like: a little monster). I like a lot of the things that most people don’t have because I see those popular pieces all the time. I also just bought myself my first J12 watch!

How do you style your vintage pieces so they feel contemporary and cool and not overly retro?
I know I can always pin a Chanel brooch on a blazer and it always looks cool. But, because I collect brooches, I’ll wear four or five at a time and that makes them feel super contemporary.

With bracelets, I really like the cuffs and, to make them edgier, I like to wear them higher on the arm, up towards your elbow. Or, with bracelets and necklaces, layering them together or with different brands is always interesting.

What life lessons have you gleaned from Coco Chanel?
The one thing that always sticks out to me about Coco is how she went against the grain, against what everyone said was “the norm” in the fashion industry, and just went for it. And eventually people started responding.

I feel like that’s how I run things with my business: I went against the norm in that I didn’t go get financing and, instead, followed my own intuition. And now, people are responding! So that is what has already resonated with me: how she followed her heart and always goes for what she feels is best.

If you love high-end jewelry, you’re probably familiar with Chanel earrings. However, knowing how to pair a single favorite with any outfit is essential. This allows you to wear them with any outfit without looking repetitive, and where there’s a will, there’s a way. Check out these tips and tricks for adding those pair of new earrings to any outfit, whether for business, a formal affair, or a casual day out.

1. Pair Stud Earrings with a Business Ensemble

Black or navy business suits can be dull when worn without embellishment. If you want to add some pizzazz to your professional look while still keeping it tasteful, pair your crisp suit with some stud earrings. While adding too many accessories can appear loud and unprofessional, you can achieve a good balance with the right pair of studs and Chanel earrings have plenty of choices when it comes to that. Simple gold stud earrings can add class and color to a skirt suit and pumps, or consider adding even more flair to your business suit with turquoise stud earrings.

Pearl earrings are also a great way to make a statement at the office while adding a touch of femininity. As a matter of fact, pearls are better than diamonds when it comes to business attire since they’re understated while still carrying an air of sophistication. However, it’s best to just wear one pearl accessory at a time. Don’t overdo it with a pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings all at once, or attention will be attracted to your jewelry, rather than your work ethic and professionalism.

2. Wear Statement Chanel Earrings with a Simple Outfit

It’s best not to pair large statement earrings with the same style of clothing. If you’re going big and bold with your earrings, you should opt for a simpler aesthetic with your garments. For example, consider dressing up in a plain white frock or crisp blouse with a bold necklace or eye-catching earrings. You can also add an edge with high fashion designers like Chanel, a detail that elevates you from savvy dresser to true tastemaker. Wearing a classic designer makes it simple to jazz up something as casual as a pair of jeans and a sweater, especially if you go for statement earrings. Dangling earrings are an excellent choice for more laid-back ensembles, and add elegance to a basic look. If you need to dress up for a formal event, consider pairing some bold Gripoix earrings with a simple black dress. Taking a note from the incomparable Coco Chanel, highlighting her statement that fashion is fleeting, but style is infinite. In other words, you can follow the trends, but being truly memorable and unique is all in the details.

3. Add Sparkly Earrings to A Dress or Gown for a Night on the Town

Flashy or sparkly earrings are a great look for a night out on the town. Chanel offers a wide selection of rhinestone and crystal earrings in a diverse range of designs and colors. While a night out gives you free range to select almost any type of accessory you like, you can never go wrong with vintage earrings. These work especially well with a simple black or red dress for a classy look during a first date or girls’ night out. If you’re headed to the club with your friends, try pairing a slinky dress and sky-high heels with a pair of crystal earrings. For more formal nights out, pair diamond earrings with your gown at a festive gathering or ball.

4. Choose the Proper Color Scheme to Match Your Earrings with Your Outfit

Many people believe that mixing gold and silver jewelry is a huge fashion faux pas. Fortunately, when you’re wearing Chanel, mixing and matching gold with silver creates a stylish contrast. Consider pairing silver earrings with a chunky gold necklace. If you decide to forego the metallic in favor for a pop of color, Chanel jewelry comes in a wide range of hues so you can easily match the color of your earrings and jewelry to your outfit. An easy way to figure out which colors complement each other is to use the color wheel as a guide for matching your earrings to your dress. Colors across the wheel from each other tend to look great together, so consider pairing a red dress with a pair of green earrings. You can also match colors next to each other on the wheel. For example, a blue dress looks perfect with violet earrings.

There you go with some really good ideas for looking your ultimate best. And if you are looking for unique and eye-catching jewelry, TrueFacet’s the perfect place to browse luxury items. Take a look at our marketplace today!