Downtown couple Collin James Weber and Brandon Veloria Giordano have been selling vintage and archive pieces together for nearly a decade. After meeting—in a hot tub, no less—in Oakland, California, the duo relocated to New York City and began hawking vintage wares at the Bushwick Flea Market. In 2017, Weber, a former librarian, and Giordano, who was working in fashion production, brought their secondhand pieces to Manhattan when they opened up their shop in a Chinatown mall. Specializing in vintage from the ‘80s through the 2000s, the Downtown destination is a colorful designer mecca covered in Andrea Smith murals and literal confetti. “We want it to look almost like a toy store,” Giordano told Coveteur. “Or maybe your grandmother’s basement,” added Weber. With pieces from Jean Paul Gaultier, Todd Oldham and Versus Versace, among others, @jamesVeloria—a combination of the couple’s middle names—has become the go-to place for stylists, celebrities and fashion fans alike, including Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes, Naomi Campbell and Opening Ceremony designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, who invited the couple to host a series of pop-up shops in their stores before they closed. Whether you’re looking for ‘90s Moschino, a Vivienne Westwood corset, or a hot pink Galliano Dior gown, Weber and Giordano curate a selection of unique, handpicked pieces that are trendy and timeless. Of their buying style, Giordano noted: “[You] need to authentically be into what you’re selling for it to work.” When asked: What outfit would you choose to be buried in, for Issue 17, he told us: “Nothing! The clothes must live on!” Photography by @mitchism Interview by @annazanes @thealexandraweiss