The Traveler

'The Traveler' is a KERN1 project that aims to emphasize the versatility of Chanel jackets by sending one and the same jacket to five different women in five European countries and asking them to capture their perception of the jacket in an image

My mother

It is early 2018, I live abroad and tell my mother about my plan to create an online store dedicated to vintage Chanel jackets. As always when I share my ideas with her, she is supportive and encourages me to go for it. She accepts to store my growing stock of jackets in her home, but besides that it is my own project, as my mother still worked full time as a lawyer at that time.

I fly back to The Netherlands several times that year to picture the jackets and set up some projects for the launch of KERN1. In June, when the online store aired and I sold my first jackets, I asked my mom to wrap the jackets and send them to the buyers. She agreed, and then it all started.

I recently asked her how she looked back on those four years. The years in which we built KERN1 and worked together every day, the years in which she selflessly put countless hours in my dream project, to help me succeed. I will forever hold this period close to my heart. It had to be documented, captured in words and on camera, all that she does. To honor her, and to show you

A summer day in Amsterdam

A beautiful, warm, yet breezy summer day in Amsterdam featuring a few of my absolute favorite latest vintage Chanel arrivals. This is a project I have been meaning to do for the longest time: to take you for a virtual tour in my beloved city and show you what a perfect Saturday looks like for me. To wake up early, bike along the quiet canals, have its beauty all for yourself, and soak up the moment before the city buzz arises. To start the day at a hidden farmers market in the courtyard of one of the world's most iconic museums, to buy some fresh fruit and share a croissant with a friend. A simple picnic for one at the waterside is planned afterwards to relax. Some grapes, wine, bread and a book, what more is needed to be happy? Vinyl shopping, fresh flowers and a coffee to finish a perfect day in town.

Pictures by Simone Frank

The jacket stories

In conversation with KERN1 customers

A Chanel jacket looks good on everybody

The seemingly simple design by Gabrielle Chanel makes you feel beautiful in every phase of your life, it matches every skin tone, works for both men and women, and fits all body shapes

The local Traveler

'The local Traveler' is a KERN1 project that aims to emphasize the versatility of Chanel jackets. During the last two months of 2020, in the midsts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we let one and the same vintage Chanel jacket travel to five selected women in the Netherlands. We gave them the opportunity to keep, wear, and experience it for a few days and asked them to capture their perception of the jacket in one or multiple photographs. The result is an interesting mix of images that brings to expression that a Chanel jacket, while having a character of its own, is mainly what it is perceived to be by its wearer/beholder.

Thoughts on buying vintage

Recently I realized that one of the aspects that attract me the most in buying vintage is that it doesn’t come easy. In our consumer society, all that we want is so easily available and our urges can be immediately satisfied. We can make up our mind that we ‘need’ something, we want to have it right away, we go to a shop, to purchase that what we thought wanted so bad and as quickly as the urge came, the joy of possessing the item fades away.

When falling for something vintage, the process is different. The right size, color, and shape of the item on your wishlist might not be available right away. Research, time, and patience are required. Months might pass, but once you know it was the right thing to do when finding the perfect one, the one that seems like it was specially made and waiting for you. Because of the effort you put into finding the item, it will give you joy for many more years.

Surrounding yourself only with items that last and give content contributes to well-being. All items of a wardrobe should be chosen thoughtfully in harmony with function and aesthetics. Buy less, buy better.

The Audo x KERN1

On September 20 & 21 2019 The Audo in Copenhagen hosted Kern1’s first international pop-up store

Nikè

A series of pictures in a canalside building in Amsterdam

A contemporary approach to vintage

A series of photos at the atelier of artist Tali Ben Bassat that express our appreciation for the combination of vintage & modernism

Four different ways to style a vintage Chanel jacket

On Instagram I requested you all in my Stories to share your thoughts about Kern1. I wanted to know if there are things I could do to improve your online shopping experience. Many of you asked for more styling tips. I listened & decided together with my friend @tamarhuitsing to create four different outfits with one of my latest arrivals, this gorgeous and elegant vintage Chanel cream bouclé jacket from 1991, to express the versatility of Chanel jackets

Harper’s Bazaar Summit

On the 4th of September 2020 Harper's Bazaar invited me to speak at their 'at work' Summit about the wardrobe of the future: a timeless wardrobe full of investment pieces. I would like to share some of my thoughts on this subject with you. 

I recently read an article in the Financial Times that stated that at this moment the average lifespan of a garment of clothing is estimated to be only 5 years (in the UK even only 2.2 years) and I wondered why this is. Probably the majority of these items concern trendy fashion items that lost their relevance and desirability after a few seasons, thus are discarded after a couple of wears by the buyer. And if a garment has lost its value for you, then it probably did also for others and it will be most likely difficult to resell on the second-hand market (or rent it out/swap it). It will be tossed away and end up in a landfill. Only in the Netherlands, where I live, private individuals throw away 688 million pieces of clothing every year in total. The second category of items with low lifespan concerns items that have been totally worn out after this short period of time, because of their lack of quality.

To build a wardrobe full of long-lasting items that do give you joy for many years, I believe the trick is to invest in garments that are both timeless in style and in quality, plus suit your personal style and body shape. There is an objective and subjective box that needs to be ticked, in order to make a piece timeless for you. 

First of all, a timeless piece of clothing is, in my idea, so (seemingly) simple of style that it fits in every era. Think of a white button-up shirt, a black blazer, or a trenchcoat. They are not fashion-driven and can therefore not look outdated and lose their relevance. Then the second step is that they are literally timeless because they are crafted from the highest of quality materials, made with utmost attention for detail, and therefore have proven to last for many decades (think of a Hermès Kelly bag, a Cartier watch, or a Chanel jacket). That an item is objectively timeless, doesn't necessarily mean it has any value to you personally, therefore I believe that that the most important condition, to make you value and keep a piece of clothing for many years is that it actually makes you happy, that it everything you are searching for in a garment, and that it fits you as a person. You can feel right away when you put a piece of clothing on if it truly makes you happy and if it will be an item that you can count on to make you feel strong and beautiful when you wear it. If it ticks all these boxes, it will most likely to stay and grow with you for many decades. An item to love, cherish, value, and keep. 

The seller stories

2023 marks the fifth year of KERN1's existence. Since the start of my online store dedicated to second hand Chanel jackets, I noticed that there are certain topics many of you are intrigued by. That inspired me to start some projects around these subjects for this anniversary year. A frequently asked question is: where do you source your jackets? Many of you wonder who are the people that sell a Chanel jacket, and mainly why they decide to do so. An interesting story is Lisette's, and I am glad to share it with you

The office stories

Portraits of KERN1 customers with their pre-owned Chanel jacket at work

How to make a Chanel jacket last a lifetime?

6 tips on how to take care of your Chanel jacket & help it keep its value

Mobile fitting room

Finding the right jacket, the one that fits you perfectly, makes your heart beat faster and matches your style, is a delicate process. Sometimes it is needed to see the jacket in real life, to try it on and feel the fabric, before understanding if it is the right match for you. That is why I invented the 'mobile fitting room'

Women & Paris

A selection of our jackets on the streets of Paris worn by beautiful locals