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Meet the Buyers: Who's Behind The Clothes at Your Favorite Shops?
Leo Pagkaliwangan

Meet the Buyers: Who's Behind The Clothes at Your Favorite Shops?

By Nick Grant | Feb 3, 2013 | 12:38 pm | Permalink

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Leo Pagkaliwangan

Bodega

How long have you been a buyer and how did you get into it?
I was helping out with the buying when I started and the shop opened back in '06. Once I finished school in '08 and was able to be around full-time, I became the head buyer. It just happened naturally, I guess. I never came here with the full intention of being the buyer. I honestly just wanted to help out.

What is your favorite seasonal collection buy of all time?
I'm a jacket fiend, so the fall/winter season is always my favorite of the two collections. If I had to pick a year, I'd say FW11. Acronym brought back the J5A and unveiled the CP-1 cape on everyone that season. I loved Bedwin's Talking Heads theme. The entire collection from Deluxe was on point, especially with that duck camo Baracuta collab. Jordan came back out with the "Last Shot" XIV's -- an underrated sneaker, in my opinion. Taka's Sk8-Hi's for the Vault line were dope as hell. The list keeps going. Regardless, every season has its bangers.

What brand's collection are you looking forward to getting most for SS13?
Apart from the Bodega line, I'd have to say it's a toss-up between Cav Empt and Acronym, for sure. Acronym was the first brand I brought in as a buyer, so there's always been that connection. I still get excited when they publish the subnet and that ACR shipment comes in every season. C.E is a new line we're introducing this upcoming season that was started by Sk8thing and Toby Feltwell last year. It's more than a step apart what most are doing in the market and they're taking from some solid influences, so I'm psyched for it.

What advice would you give other buyers just starting out?
Stop looking at blogs. Trust your instinct. Don't forget who you're buying for.