2023 marks the fifth year of KERN1's existence. Since the start of my online store dedicated to second hand Chanel jackets, I noticed that there are certain topics many of you are intrigued by. That inspired me to start some projects around these subjects for this anniversary year. A frequently asked question is: where do you source your jackets? Many of you wonder who are the people that sell a Chanel jacket, and mainly why they decide to do so. An interesting story is Lisette's, and I am glad to share it with you today. 

"I feel like this jacket should have crossed my path 10 years later in life. The colors, the fit, everything is right for me, but I cannot wear it. When I got the jacket at the end of 2021, I felt so incredibly lucky. Ever since I was 13 years old, I have been wanting to purchase a Chanel piece. When I sold my first home, I thought it was the right moment. I gave myself a certain budget and began to search. Some months passed, and then I managed to buy this checked blazer from the 80s. I was overjoyed. In the beginning I tried the jacket on every day in my home and observed all its details. For instance I noticed that when you look at it, the overall color seems brownish, but when you study the piece from up close, you see that it actually hardly has any brown in it. I especially loved the green silk interior with the tiny cc-logos.

Over time I became aware of the fact that I just couldn’t get myself to wear the jacket outside of my home. Not because there wasn’t a right moment for it, the jacket is actually so casual that it is suitable for many occasions, I was just too terrified that I would stain it and decrease the value of the jacket. I didn’t even take it outside once. A year after I purchased the jacket, my boyfriend suggested that it might be a good idea to sell it. Even the thought of selling the jacket worried me. What if I would have to ship the jacket abroad and the package would get lost? To sell it to KERN1 seemed the best option, because I live in Amsterdam, just like KERN1’s founder Tami. So I could just give it to her in person. I feel so much love for this jacket, it deserves to be worn. Therefore I am not sad to part with it. In the future, when I am ready to wear such a valuable piece, I hope that I may cross paths with it again.

pictures by Eliza Zarah Goedhart