The love of the hunt was instilled in Alexis from early on; she would trawl flea markets and garage sales with her father in Denver, Colorado. Nowadays, her pursuits take her all over the world, from cross-state road trips to extended stays in Japan or Paris. As a former yoga teacher turned full-time vintage dealer in 2020, Alexis never knows who she’ll meet or what kind of gem will reveal itself to her, but she embraces the spontaneous nature of her job with an artistic, avant-garde, and mindfully-edited wardrobe that’s reflective of her cultivated taste and love of camp. Curious to see how she navigates it all? Let’s unpack her week of looks, below.
Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
On Call: Embracing the Element of Surprise
When working closely with her tailor, Rae Moore, on alterations for clients, Alexis reaches for pieces in which she can move freely and instinctively. Here, she styles a flared Marni skirt with a square-neck tank from Vince—“a great layering piece”—and her beloved Tabi boots. She imbues interest in this all-black look with a bright red V-neck sweater from The Row—a deep-cut that’s based on a Martin Margiela for Hermès style from the fall 1998 collection, and a contemporary fashion Easter Egg she was over the moon to find. Her Elsa Peretti for Tiffany tassel pendant adds a layer of tasteful artistry.
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
The Foundational Formula for Fittings—and Beyond
Easy, relaxed separates make up this next tonal look—composed of a collarless Margiela men’s blazer, the same Vince square-neck cami as seen above, and a Prada maxi skirt—which Alexis will slip into whenever she needs to feel truly present. “I love being in the moment when I’m [in fittings] working on a piece, and don’t want to ever feel restricted [by my clothes],” she says of this tried-and-true formula. She’ll opt for Tabi ballet flats in the day, then switch into boots or loafer heels for after hours. A vintage Elsa Peretti piece horseshoe belt—another prized piece in her collection—breaks up the monochrome and adds intrigue and dimension to her outfit.
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Silky Separates for No-Fuss Polish
You’ll never catch Alexis rummaging through bins in silky clothing—she reserves elegant separates like these for days packed to the brim with client meetings. “The silk top is so comfortable and relaxed, but still has that cool element to it with the oversized fit and the tight cuffs,” she says of her recently acquired Phoebe Philo design. She paired it with slouchy tailored wool trousers, also by Phoebe, and her trusty Margiela sneakers. She incorporates a sense of playfulness with her jewelry: a dainty stacking chain from Wwake— “a barely-there piece I wear every single day that’s really like a part of me now”—and an Old Céline coral deer pendant. “I like pendant necklaces because they’re a [impactful] piece of jewelry that isn’t power pearls.” Alexis isn’t print-shy, but she prefers to express herself in color stories over patterns. “I like solid hues that can be easily interchanged, and to add interest with fabrics,” she says of this ensemble that exemplifies her dressing ethos.
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Campy Accessories Bring Artful Flair
Alexis’s whimsical side—and deep fashion knowledge—is on full display here, with an outfit framed around vintage and contemporary Margiela finds: a modern knit vest atop a coordinating zip-up cardigan with “lines that match up perfectly whichever way you wear it” and a pre-loved maxi column skirt made out of old cargo pants that Alexis describes as “a tailoring feat that’s one of one.” She’d pair this outfit with sneakers for work or surrealist Phoebe Philo-era Céline heels for a lunch out. (Take a closer look at her shoes, and you’ll notice the toenails are painted red—campy dressing at its finest!) She gives this outfit complexity and an artful flair with a pendant pouch first seen on Margiela’s 1999 spring runway. “Although it’s a piece of art, it’s a functional pouch made of a vintage 1950s leather glove that Margiela sourced and found at a Parisian flea market—I use it to keep my tailoring clips and pins.”
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Trompe L’Oeil Dressing
Two of Alexis’s hard-earned vintage finds shine in this transitional outfit that’s perfect for whenever she wants to leave a lasting impression. She says she stumbled upon the Margiela dress and jacket cosmically on two separate occasions, and pairing them up felt like “reuniting a family.” The jacket is a reconstruction of deconstructed vintage leather jackets with extra long sleeves that can be rolled up. “There’s no practicality to it—it’s just a new idea that I love, and Margiela was always trying to find modern ways to interpret old ideas.” The dress’s trompe l’oeil pattern is a zoomed-in photograph of a woman’s hair printed on a silk lining. Her appreciation for craftsmanship and provenance give gravitas to this look, which is once more, anchored by her vintage Elsa Peretti bottle pendant and Tabi boots.
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Decisions, Decisions: The Art of Letting Go
For Alexis, the thrill of discovery is often tempered by a rush of mixed emotions: Do you hold onto this incredible piece for yourself, or do you accept being a temporary custodian and allow it to find another happy home? “There’s a fine line between collecting and hoarding,” Alexis says of her own curated edit, which consists of about 60 pieces she truly loves and wears. Alexis is trying on a spring/summer 2008 drop-waist Marni dress (look #52) with which she’s chosen to part. Had she kept it, she would have hemmed it to a maxi length and styled it with sneakers—a reliable daytime look for “feeling confident and put together.” She emphasizes the importance of tailoring vintage, which “costs less than you think and ensures you’ll wear it a million times more than if you don’t.” “It’s what makes it yours,” she says. Her Elsa Peretti bottle pendant makes another cameo—a staple that makes her feel “protected and self-assured.”
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
The Tried-and-True LBD
Just because it’s vintage doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can’t wear it often. This 2002 Prada pleated jersey dress with leather details from the fall collection (look 39) is a great example of that: it’s a does-it-all midi that Alexis says she’s worn countless times to work, to weddings, and to meetings—and styled it in a multitude of ways, with sneakers or heels, to suit the mood and occasion. Playing with proportion and materiality, she grounds the dress here with a Glenn Martens for Y/Project oversized denim jacket, then creates tension and interest with green satin pumps from Prada. The result? A day-to-night ensemble that’s elevated but still rooted in her comfort-first mindset.
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Photos: Courtesy of Alexandra Cabral
Dressed Up Denim
Denim doesn’t usually play a starring role in Alexis’s wardrobe, but for Phoebe, she’ll make an exception. Here, she pairs a dark wash style with an open-back silk top, also from the brand, her Elsa Peretti bean tassel necklace (of which she has interchangeable beans), and heeled loafers for a casual-chic lunch look with a fashion-forward twist. “I try not to wear light colors [or silks] when I’m doing inventory. People have open pens—I’ll lift a jacket and, before I know it, be covered in ink.” Alexis says she usually carries the same purse every day, so when she’s being extra intentional about her handbag choice, she’ll reach for her Phoebe Philo Cadillac bag in a bold burgundy.
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