Rhuigi Villaseñor loves to buy things. The 26-year-old designer, who founded his menswear line Rhude in 2013, speaks about his purchases over the phone as if they’re sources of pain and pleasure. "I'm trying not to be, but yeah,” says Villaseñor when asked if he's a big shopper. “Oh my God, it’s so bad. I hope my CPA doesn’t see this."
Villaseñor has built a following with Rhude's well-made pieces and bold graphics—Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, and LeBron James are fans. The clothes are distinct enough to feel special but comfortable enough to wear every day. While Villaseñor loves clothes, his current focus is redesigning his office and frequenting stores like the Window and Galerie Half in Los Angeles, or bargaining directly with collectors on Craigslist.
Here, he details the last 10 things he bought, including a very expensive desk, one last piece from Céline by Phoebe Philo, and a Louis Vuitton bag for his father.
1. White Peonies
We're remodeling the office and I wanted to have something I was gonna do religiously, and yeah, I like fresh white peonies. The Flower District is down the street from our office, and I buy them myself. It's therapeutic for me.
2. Cartier Love Bracelet
I've never actually bought one for myself, but this is the super-thin one, and I thought it was quite lovely with the diamonds and all that. I just wanted to treat myself a little bit. Oh my God, I already treat myself a lot. It's dainty; it's chic. I purchased it from the Cartier store. If I’m spending more than a few hundred dollars, I need to see what I'm getting, and that's when the experience kicks in. I need the champagne; it eases the pain.
3. Louis Vuitton Messenger Bag
I bought this for my dad's birthday. He's quite chic, and I don't know, I just think a Louis Vuitton bag is quintessential. It's a solid bag for him. In the Philippines, the ultimate luxury is Louis Vuitton. Plus I wanted to give him something that had some meaning, so I got it hand painted with his initials by a buddy of mine, Serviced by E, and yeah, he loves it. I actually went to the store and bought that. Of course, I asked for champagne.
4. Baccarat Decanter and Ashtray
I'm getting into collecting glassware. I didn't realize that my mom had been doing it for quite some time. As I'm building essentially a home, every time I'm home I try to add something new. It's a bit expensive, but there’s just a classy tone to a Baccarat glass and ashtray, even though I don't even smoke. So, actually, I filled the ashtray with sand from the Philippines, and that's where I put my incense. The other Baccarat pieces I have are from my family’s collection. My mom hasn't really noticed that yet, but I'm starting to order some for myself.
5. Céline Tiger’s Eye Ring
This had been something I was watching for a while. I was in a Céline store and the whole Phoebe [Philo] collection is getting cleared out, so I figured I needed to buy something that still has that Phoebe touch. Someone told me tiger's eye is good for energy or something like that. I have quite a big collection of Phoebe's stuff for Céline. I have a few of her long coats; I just wanted to make one last purchase.
6. Gilbert Rohde Desk
Sometimes I go on eBay and pump fake a bit. I fantasy shop, and I'm like, “Oh my God, I would actually buy it for this much.” Anyway, I bid on this app called Cherish for this wonderful, lovely table, and I didn't realize that the minute you put in a bid and accept it, you buy it. So with my pump fake, the shot actually went in. And I was like, "Oh shoot, I wasn't serious." So, yeah. That's the actual story.
I was looking for a table for my office because we just moved, and I thought this was beautiful. I wanted an executive table that didn't have the executive connotation. It's just like a writing table. It says, “Come have a seat with me,” rather than “I need to talk to you.”
7. Shelving
I was on Craigslist, and there was this shelving that someone was getting rid of. They paid, like, $15,000 for it, and I was able to come down on the value and just bought it. I just think a lovely library is necessary, plus I have a lot of books at home. I'm building my home office and my work office, so I just started buying a few pieces, and then I'll decide which office I'm going to allocate [which pieces] to.
8. The Row Coat
Every man needs a well-tailored coat, and the Row has exceptional tailoring. I had to get it. It’s modern. It’s not as long and structured as Tom Ford; with Tom Ford coats, the shoulders are a bit too broad for me.
I love the Row employees; I think they're great. This is actually from their first men's collection, but I own some women's pieces from the Row. I bought some women's boots in the largest size they had. This brand just looks like quality.
9. Future x Rhude Merch
I love Future so much. He's a good friend, and we collaborated on this piece. I wanted to buy something I made because I loved it. It's influenced by his Monster mixtape, which is legendary. I wanted to give him that rock band, kind of T-shirt vibe. But I also find that people have this voodoo, psychedelic effect when they listen to Future.
10. Antique Pottery
When I was trying to be a fine artist, I used to go to this workshop that had a kiln, and I would make my own pottery. I think collecting antique pots is so chic. I can put it around my house. I put it on top of books. Put flowers in them. I bought this one from a store in L.A. called the Window. They have an amazing selection, but I try not to walk in there anymore because the bill is gonna be high.
At this point I'm actually just collecting, putting it in my house or in my office. When I move into a bigger home, I'll put them on display. But for now, while the juices are flowing, I'm just taking it as I go, and if I get a great, great deal, I can't not take it.
