Gianna Corvino founded The NY Archive on a leap of faith. The 26-year-old entrepreneur and vintage reseller, whose online following is more than 50,000-strong, has found fans in Anne Hathaway, Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae with her collection of pre-loved designer pumps.
Corvino started The NY Archive as a side hustle in 2023, launching the company out of her childhood bedroom. Once she planned on pursuing it full-time, she quit her job at a start-up; but when it couldn’t pay out the equity she’d been promised, Corvino knew that she had to take matters into her own hands.
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
“I had gotten into debt strategically with the hopes that, by doing my time there, I’d be able to pay myself out…it was an investment in this future that I was trying to cultivate,” she tells Fashionista. Leaving her corporate job behind, although risky, was the motivation Corvino needed to make The NY Archive what it is today. “The only option was to succeed,” she says.
Three years after launching with an online-only drop model, Corvino has expanded her brand from a showroom located in her family’s apartment on the Upper East Side, into a full-fledged retail space in Chelsea.
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
The result is The NY Collective, where Corvino — alongside a rotating slate of vintage dealers and small contemporary brands — has created a living, breathing monument to the city’s tight-knit community of independent fashion businesses.
“I wanted to bring people into this world and make it feel like it’s something that they resonate with on an emotional level, beyond just being a store. Because anyone can sell vintage,” she explains.
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
Because she trades predominantly in vintage footwear, bringing other vendors on board felt like a natural extension of Corvino’s brand. The Collective’s current roster includes rare handbags from Seven Moods, ‘90s- and Y2K -era Victoria’s Secret slips from Sadly Vintage and repurposed retro frames from AZYR Specs. Prices for vintage items range from $45 to $5,000, while contemporary pieces cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000.
“The hope is that you come here and feel like you’re never getting the same experience twice,” Corvino says.
The design of her nostalgia-fueled storefront was inspired by films and television shows like “Uptown Girls,” “13 Going on 30” and “Sex and the City.” Floor-to-ceiling shelves, painted shocking pink, boast everything from pony-hair Prada platforms to classic Chanel flaps. Chandeliers (sourced from Facebook Marketplace) are draped in ribbons and designer heels, while hand-painted motifs of shoes, purses and perfume decorate the dressing room.
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
Within 50 days of signing the lease, Corvino completely transformed the two-room studio with help from her local handyman, who’s worked in her family’s building since she was a child. “He really helped my dreams come true,” she says.
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
Photo: Courtesy of The NY Collective
Corvino knew she’d outgrown her original showroom when a line of 250 people queued down the block. In the Chelsea space, she still plans to have customers reserve dedicated time slots on weekdays, but weekends will be open for walk-ins and ticketed events — that way, there are multiple options for shoppers to “play dress-up.”
“I want to inspire confidence and let people feel like big kids again,” Corvino says. “Because how often do you get to do that?”
The NY Collective is now open at 150 West 25th Street, Suite 401. Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
