Carly Jordan is probably working harder than you.
"Everybody wants what they can't have, so my job is to make the impossible happen."
Good afternoon everyone. If you’re looking to put together a vacation outfit or track down a sold-out Miu Miu pouch, you might reach out to someone like Carly Jordan, a Toronto-born, Miami-based sourcer, stylist, and shopper who has made a name for herself by helping clients on both sides of the border find rare and in-demand pieces.
She spent almost an hour on the phone with me during a recent evening, recounting her career pivot from investment banking into fashion two nearly years ago. 26-year-old Jordan has since grown her clientele to include the jewelry designer Liza Gozlan, Isabelle Grutman, Stassi Shroeder, and other names she’d prefer to keep under wraps.
It’s glamorous job, but Jordan says people often don’t realize how much goes into it. She is switched on at every waking hour, fielding between 50 and 200 daily requests on her Instagram page, which she handles herself or delegates between 15 assistants globally. Case in point: it took her under a minute to confirm our interview over email.
This conversation is part of a feature called Coffee Chat. I know quite a few Milk Bag readers are keeping up with Carly’s work, so I was excited to ask her some questions.
How does your business work?
There are three aspects: styling, sourcing, and personal shopping. For sourcing, we usually charge a US$150 flat fee to source anything under $2,000 or 10% of the cost of the item for anything above that, and that includes shipping.
What does normal day look like?
The Bal Harbour Shops are kind of like my office. If I’m not in the stores, I’m on my computer tracking what’s coming out and trying to stay on top of trends: if Morgan Stewart wears something, I think, okay, we should start tracking this down in every size because everyone is going to want it. My friends think my job is so glamorous until they walk into my apartment before a big fitting: they see the racks lined up with outfits that I was up until 5 a.m putting together, making sure they’re perfect.
How did you grow the business?
When I first moved to Miami, my friends in Toronto would ask me to find things for them that they couldn’t find in Canada. I was like whatever, yeah, sure. I was pretty good at it, and they convinced me to start an Instagram page. Toronto was my first big market: It’s a word of mouth business and I found such a tight and supportive community there. And as we grow in the U.S., it’s crazy to me how opportunities come about. Someone will ask you to source something for a client, who happens to be Drake. We sourced shoes for Rick Ross from an Instagram DM. But nobody is buying something off Instagram for thousands of dollars from someone they don’t know, so there’s also a huge reputation and trust factor that’s built over time.
What have you learned in those two years?
That everybody wants what they can't have, so my job is to make the impossible happen. And the harder something is to find, the more people are trying to find it.
How does what’s happening in the markets impact your business?
When I worked in finance, I’d sit and stare at the markets all day but I didn’t see the fluctuations as clearly as I do now. I’ve seen a drop in Canadian spending because of the USD conversion, and the same thing is now happening with the Euro. You’re no longer saving money by sourcing out of Europe.
How recession proof is your client base?
We don’t only cater to high net worth people. We have clients who will spend a couple hundred dollars for styling hours, and we’ll go into their closet and create looks based on what they already have. I’ll style clients in head to toe Zara.
Do Canadians shop differently than Americans?
I know where the address is when I see, “So, what winter boots do you have?” Toronto is a more casual city and people lean to capsule wardrobe pieces.
What are clients asking for right now?
Everyone prepping for Euro summer, so I’m getting a lot of requests for fun pieces for vacation outfits. The shoe of the summer is the Miu Miu mesh flat or Chloe jelly sandal, in any colour. Requests for the crochet Miu Miu pouch are never-ending. There’s the Chanel 25 small bag. I’m also seeing a lot of Pucci.
What happens when someone sends you a request?
It's kind of like The Hunger Games. We'll throw everything in a chat and say okay, go, and we have a great time with it. We have girls in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, so first we check the stores, and if we can’t find the item we go to our network to see who might have the stock on hand.
Is your day done after this phone call?
Oh god no, it’s only 8 p.m. This is like power hour for the shoppers. If you’re not accessible, they’ll find someone else.
I still can’t believe how quickly you answer messages.
I love being fast. I used to be bad with it, and I would miss opportunities. When people are willing to spend a lot of money on an item they really want, they don’t want to wait days for an answer, so I’ve grown to be really ‘on.’ That’s why people work with me, because I can get an item on their doorstop by noon the next day.
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Toronto expanded the number of parks where you can drink. I was not aware there were parks you could not drink in until the city started this program in 2019.
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Buy your Mother’s Day flowers anywhere but 1-800-FLOWERS. My flower ‘hack’ is to go to Riverside Flower Shop or Summerhill Market in Rosedale to pick out a few bunches and combine them. It’s so reasonably priced and they turn out so well. For high-quality flowers and reliable delivery I trust both Tonic Blooms or Pistil downtown, and if money is no object you can try Wild North Flowers.
