Q & A with Jennie Walker: Fashion Expert, Moschino Collector and Vintage Seller

Jennie Walker has been a fashion fan since getting into her mother’s closet as a child. After learning merchandising through retail jobs and getting into consigning her own clothes she eventually met a business partner and opened up a luxury consignment shop voted Best New Business in Pasadena.  Eventually she bought out her partner, moved to LA and rented a showroom, working with celebrity and photo shoot stylists. After getting involved with vintage pop ups on both coasts, Jennie, “found the appetite for vintage so exciting that I moved back to New York City a year and a half later. Now I am participating in pop-ups around the city (such as one at Michael’s, Saturday, August 8th, 2026), the Hamptons, and major cities around the country.  I have recently started selling using the ebay live platform, which is bringing new customers to my vintage.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You have a fondness for Moschino, what is it you love about the brand?

I feel that Moschino’s most lovable quality is its playfulness.  It’s different.  It’s irreverent.  And there are hidden messages in the clothing.  I was once staring at a green plaid blazer with heart patches with topstitching on the elbows and heart shaped buttons on the sleeve in my archive.  I had seen it many times before but in this one instance I had an epiphany.  With this blazer you are literally wearing your heart on your sleeve.   That was my wake up call to really go deep into studying what Franco Moschino was trying to communicate about fashion and the industry through his designs.  Sometimes it’s subtle and other times over the top.   

Q: How did you become the largest collector of Moschino in the US?

It all started with one skirt. A friend of mine was clearing out her clothing storage and had started selling items on ebay.  One skirt in particular was not getting any traction and was receiving low-ball offers.  Since I was already selling on ebay she wanted me to give my perspective on the listing and see if I could find a way to improve it.  Upon examining the listing and the item, I was struck by how amazing the piece was.  It was a Moschino Couture baby blue maxi skirt with an Italian flag bow ribbon at the waist and oversized embroidered yellow suns around the bottom with the words “O Sole Mio.”  I offered to purchase the item from my friend and when it arrived I started to research what other amazing Moschino pieces I could find on the market. Those early days turned into the collection you see today.

Q: Why do you think the brand remains popular?

I have studied the Moschino brand for about 10 years and I have learned a lot about what their point of view is and how it resonates with buyers. Essentially it is fun, full of humor and often just simply cute.  In a world of fashion with designer basics Moschino is a breath of fresh air. I also believe social media has pushed the popularity of the brand.  The What Fran Wore Instagram account has created a frenzy over those early 1990s Moschino pieces seen on the hit TV show “The Nanny”.  With the series now on HBOMax, young women are being introduced to those great iconic fashions for the first time and can find them in the secondary market through resale sites, consignment shops like Michael’s and through vintage dealers like myself.  The iconic Piano dress from the show is a constant sell out at a premium price as is the polka dot suit seen in the promotional photos for the show.  While not Moschino, I own the Lillie Rubin black suit with animal print faux fur collar seen in the opening scene of the show.  My suit went viral last year when Sabrina Carpenter wore it and the media picked it up and ran with it.

The Moschino brand is very popular in the secondary market, where people are being exposed to the brand for the first time.  In the primary market you can barely find it IRL outside the one Moschino store in the country at Hudson Yards in New York City. 

Q: Do you have a favorite piece? Or one you have yet to acquire?

My favorite pieces beyond the one that started the archive would be the Alice in Wonderland black women’s tuxedo jacket from 1995.  It has a white puffball bunny tail on the lapel that serves as a carnation and the tuxedo tails are in the shape of pink and gray velvet bunny ears.  It is a showstopper.  I love it so much I have four of them now in various sizes.  I also love the iconic teddy bear coat, which has stuffed teddy bears around the neck of a black cashmere coat.  I had a chance to buy it 8 years ago but was hesitant due to the price.  I finally found another one this month and this time I was happy to pay twice the price to bring it into my archive - it is that rare!  I am still looking for the matching bear hat and I will find it eventually and that will complete the look. This look was used in a major ad campaign in the 1980s and is documented in several Moschino books.

Q: Best tips for those looking to add various items to their luxury vintage clothing collection?

I would recommend people focus on archival pieces that will remain part of fashion history.  The bold signature pieces that have been documented in books, runway shows or media.  To obtain the pieces, I would recommend setting up alerts for new inventory listings on websites that offer push notifications, like ebay, ReSee or Vestiaire Collective. I would also alert your local consignment shop, like Michael’s Consignment, to your wishes so the staff can call you when those pieces come in.  Attending vintage shows such as Manhattan Vintage, Not A Normal Market or A Current Affair in New York gives you a chance to buy from as many as 100 top dealers with highly curated collections all in one place and all at one time.  It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.

Come to our Pop-Up at Michael’s on Saturday, August 8, 2026 to see what she has in person! 

If you would like to be in touch with Jennie Walker:
website is www.thejenniewalkerarchive.com
IG is @msjenniewalker
tiktok is @thejenniewalkerarchive