For some, success is defined by how much money you make, or the size of your stock portfolio, or the car you drive. For others, myself included, success is when you are a part of something or create something you are passionate about. Carole Tanenbaum, of Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection, is cut from the stone of the latter. She has created a mini-empire out of one of her hobbies: Collecting. In just over 20 years, Carole has amassed a collection of more than 20,000 pieces of vintage costume jewelry, ranging from the Victorian era to the 1980’s.
Her zest began in the early 80’s with a collection she saw in London, England. Her eye was drawn to the uniqueness and craftsmanship of the pieces, and from then on she began actively seeking out gems in this niche. “When you see one piece of costume jewelry it doesn’t really make sense, but when you see a comprehensive collection, it fits into place. That’s how I started.”
Having spent 20 years in the art world, Carole had a keen eye for intricateness and quality, and, coupled with her thirst to learn more about and acquire more costume jewelry, she established herself as a respected and credible curator.
Three years after she began her collection – at this point having about 3,500 pieces – Carole approached Holt Renfrew to do a trunk show. While she had no expectations as to what would come with her pitch, the powers that be at Holt loved her collection and decided to establish her line as a department. “They branded me and really started my career. They were taking a great chance with me, especially because counters are real estate. But they made the commitment to its fullest, created a brand icon, did all sorts of things to promote me.”
Carole credits Holt for helping her name become associated with a specific point of view of costume jewelry. “When you establish yourself as having credibility of only buying aesthetics of your point of view, it is known that at least your collection will be carefully chosen. You can’t offer pieces that don’t have integrity. Having been a collector first, and having a wide breadth of collection and having done the curation of my collection, people respect and refer to my expertise.”
Carole was able to purchase some of her greatest pieces in the first 10 years of her business because at the time vintage costume jewelry was undesired in the fashion world. However, this all changed in the early 90’s, when the Victoria and Albert Museum had a major exhibition showcasing vintage. Costume jewelry became a wanted commodity. They were looked at as jewels of fantasy.
Throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Carole’s brand grew and her mark became coveted. She has done product knowledge seminars across North America, written a book titled Fabulous Fakes that has become a go-to in the fashion world, and has supplied pieces for many films and TV shows, most notably Chicago and Sex and the City. The relationships she has made with many stylists have afforded her many of the opportunities she has had. “If it is easy to work with somebody and they have a breadth of pieces, word gets out.”
Because of the quality of her collections, Carole has become the trusted source for many celebrities, including Sarah Jessica Parker (who has around 300 pieces of Carole’s collection) and Michelle Obama. “It makes me feel accomplished when I see people wearing my collection, because everyone wants the celebrity world to recognize their brand. When you know they could go for so many different people out there, but they chose Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection, it’s wonderful.”
Carole was always an accessories person who went for the ‘wow factor.’ “When I dress, I want individuality. So many pieces have the same look and feel, and visually that doesn’t interest me.” Carole looks for originality, scale, condition, and how the piece was constructed when sourcing collections. “For me, a piece has to be as beautiful on the front as it is on the back.” Some of her favourite craftsmen include Henry Schreiner and Coppola e Toppo because of their originality. “No one produces pieces in the same vernacular.”
Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection has grown to include a distribution channel of 43 venues worldwide, an agent in New York who spreads her pieces across the States and Japan, and an online store. Looking to the future, Carole hopes to expand into bridal and men’s accessorizing.
Passion is what has gotten Carole to this point. She says without it, she would not have learned as much as she has or would have been able to establish herself as she has. “When you have passion, everything falls into place. It’s what people really pick up on. I collect because it’s like I can’t not collect.” She says her involvement with vintage jewelry has been very intimate. This is what has given her the fervour to learn everything about her niche.
Carole will continue collecting and expanding her business because it is what gives her joy. She loves educating others about the beauty of vintage costume jewelry – she recently gave a three-part lecture series at the ROM – because it is one of the ways she is able to give back to the audience that has given her prominence. “I am very thankful to the Canadian audience. If it wasn’t for Canada’s and Toronto’s enthusiasm I might not have gone very far.” I’m sure Canada and Toronto mirror her sentiments.
If the past few years are any indication, you can expect to see more of Carole Tanenbaum and her wonderfully rich collection. While she is humble and quick to credit and thank everyone who has helped her along the way, it is impossible to deny the impact Carole has had on the fashion world. Her pieces have become à la mode, and she has successfully made vintage jewelry new again.
Visit Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection to see Carole’s pieces and find out more.
Fabulous Fakes is available online at Amazon and Chapters.
Listen to Carole’s Podcast to hear her talk about her work.
