Exclusive: Olivia Palermo Talks Archiving Fashion With Garde Robe by Uovo, Wardrobe Storage and the Secret to It-Girl Style
If anyone knows a thing or two about extensive wardrobes, it’s Olivia Palermo. The star has transitioned over the decades from socialite to editor to influencer, with a wide-ranging closet to match — one that Palermo’s properly archiving with the help of luxury wardrobe storage service Garde Robe by UOVO, which she found while searching for a proper closet facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I always say, especially when you live in New York City, it’s hard to house everything under one roof — so this was a perfect time,” Palermo exclusively tells Footwear News. “When I get all my clothes that are beautifully packaged, they’re preserved. If there are any things such as dry cleaning for specific garments, or things that need to be tailored or things that just have aged…when things are checked, they always give the best advice of who the right companies and people are to work with to help keep the clothes in an even happier state, which I really appreciate.”
In addition to Palermo, Garde Robe has been virally utilized this year as the wardrobe storage service for the legendary costume archives of “Sex and the City” — prominently seen during the show’s “And Just Like That…” pop-up experience in New York City. The influencer’s appreciation for the service extends to its new MyCloset wardrobe app — a mobile app that allows clients to see each piece categorized in their closets — which she’s utilized during Fashion Weeks around the world this year, as well as to preserve her own fashion memories.
“When you’re investing into clothes, you have investment pieces, you just don’t want to have them for a year or two years,” Palermo says. “For me, it’s really helpful because I like to be super organized and be able to go back and collect beautiful things throughout my travels and have pieces from collections of designers that are unfortunately not with us anymore.”
Wardrobe storage isn’t a new concept for Palermo — in fact, she advises fashionistas to use rolling racks for greater visualization in their own closets.
“I live off of rolling racks, I love rolling racks,” Palermo gushes. “I had industrial rolling racks in two different heights, so you could see absolutely everything, and industrial shoe racks, so you could see everything. Garde Robe has done a great job to be able to not only track that, but also organize it to my liking — I can search it in all different ways.”
Ultimately, Palermo’s heightened wardrobe storage is key to staying organized as an “it girl” — a role she’s held as a street style star and television personality for years, seen in programs from “The City” to “Queenmaker.” When it comes to what truly makes an “it girl” wardrobe, however, Palermo says staying true to yourself — and having pieces to layer while on the go — is key.
“I just I really dress for myself,” Palermo says. “I tend to like to have everything and feel very prepared. I have a lot of jackets and a lot of shoes, and I think that’s always a great building piece around a wardrobe — or when you’re on the road and you’re not sure with samples, you can definitely have some hero pieces you can work with to give it that extra statement.”
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on celebrity style, brand collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. As a day-to-night dresser, he favors boots, loafers and vintage-inspired denim that can be worn from the office to any number of after-hours soirées — particularly with a ‘90s grunge or punk rock-inspired twist. In his spare time, Royce enjoys reading, discovering New York’s secret gardens and hunting for the perfect pair of combat boots.