Tracy DiNunzio Is Someone We Really Like
by The Candidly Team
This article is part of our series called "People We Like," in which we highlight interesting women, across all walks of life.
Leaders, great cooks, doctors, parents, writers; people who inspire us.
Today, we’re highlighting Tracy DiNunzio, CEO of Tradesy, one of our favorite platforms for buying and selling gently used designer fashion.
The Candidly Questionnaire
1. What’s your most compelling quality?
Calm amid chaos. I have a high tolerance for risk and complexity and really enjoy dancing in the eye of the storm.
2. What’s an overrated value you don’t buy into?
I think we glorify and overvalue professional success in a way that really narrows the aperture on what a life should be. A high-flying career can be great, but it’s not really tied to other qualities or virtues, it just means that you learned to play a particular game very well. Some of the most exceptional people I know are simply not career or achievement-oriented. We’re not all supposed to do that.
3. What's the one thing you wish everyone knew about pre-owned fashion?
That it’s a magical way to unlock a forever-free luxury wardrobe. You can learn how to spot great deals, wear things for a while, then re-sell for the same price or better. It’s life-changing. If you get good at buying and selling pre-owned fashion, you can wear Louis Vuitton and Gucci for the same net cost as fast fashion, forever.
4. How do you feel about cilantro?
Tastes like soap! I have the gene.
5. Are essential oils anything?
Nope. But nice smells are nice.
6. How do you get your self-esteem?
By meditating and reconnecting with myself in stillness. For me, external validation just doesn’t do the trick. I feel most worthy and at ease when I can tune out and tap into my core felt sense of self.
7. We often hear that investing in designer bags is a good investment--but IS it? On what occasion?
Designer bags maintain their value over time, but they’re not likely to deliver financial returns in the same way a pure financial investment like stocks or crypto can.
The average designer bag re-sells for 60% of its retail price, and the really coveted ones sell for up to 200% of their retail value. It’s pretty easy to research resale prices before you buy a bag to figure out if it’s a good investment. But if you’re really into bags and you get a lot of enjoyment while you own it, that’s part of the equation too.
I bought my Celine Box Bag for $2,400 in 2017 and just sold it for $2,300. Technically I lost $100 but I kind of feel like I won.
8. What meal can you make the hell out of?
17 layer lasagna Bolognese with ultra-thin homemade noodles. It’s a full-day project, but so relaxing.
9. What’s your favorite item of clothing you own?
This incredible black Totême dress that’s a little bit pleated and a little bit drapey and always, always works no matter what the occasion. It looks good with any shoe, accessory, or bag. I got it on Tradesy for around $150, I think it retails for over $600. I usually sell everything, but this one’s a keeper.
10. How do you handle conflict in your closest relationships?
Active listening, love, acceptance, and non-attachment to outcomes. Sometimes relationships need to shift and change. I accept that more now than I used to, and try to stay curious and open when conflict arises instead of forcing the resolution that I want.
11. We all know fast fashion isn't...great. But most of us just can't afford designer fashion; we want affordable clothes that look great that aren't destroying the environment or the lives of workers across the globe. Does that exist?
Yes! There are two concepts that make it clear how pre-owned luxury can be less expensive than fast fashion:
Net cost, or measuring the price of an item by what you paid minus what you sold it for. Like my Celine bag, which costs thousands of dollars but had a net cost to me of just $100.
Cost-per-wear measures the value of an item by not just what you paid, but how much you wore it. I have designer dresses that I’ve worn and cleaned 25-30 times and they’re as good as new. I would have needed 10 different dresses if I shopped fast fashion, because the garments aren’t as durable.
So if you buy pre-owned luxury and re-sell it, the net cost and cost-per-wear are usually better than fast fashion.
That said, it’s not all on individual consumers to save the planet. Sometimes you need an affordable top to wear to an interview right now, and you hit up a Zara, and that’s ok. Do what you can, when you can, and keep the pressure on government and corporations to do their part too.
12. What’s something you’ve changed your mind about in the last year?
Adventure. I’m more interested than ever in traveling and exploring and trying new things. The past few years gave us all a great reminder that life is short and unpredictable. Carpe diem!
13. Who is someone in your field of work that you admire?
Julia Wainwright at The RealReal is a hell of a CEO. It may be unusual to name a competitor, but she deserves it for being an absolute pro at this job. She was born to build and lead companies, executes like a beast, and has fun doing it.
I’m also so impressed by Sarah Davis at Fashionphile. She’s a bona fide luxury resale expert who started as an eBay reseller and turned that small business into a massive, expertly-run company. She is so deeply committed to quality and to her customers, and that spirit comes through in everything the company does.
Having brilliant women leaders in our category makes me really proud. We’re all demonstrating what female leadership looks like in our own unique ways, while working toward a common goal to make the future of commerce more sustainable.
14. What quote or phrase has stayed with you?
John Lennon’s, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
15. Can we even gift secondhand goods without it feeling weird, or like a "re-gift?"
Totally. I’ve been doing it forever. People appreciate gifts that have history and are unique. It’s so nice to get a present that isn’t sitting on the shiny showroom floor of every department store in town. Also, Tradesy and most other resale sites have great return policies and offer gift receipts, so your people have options if the gift you picked doesn’t work -- just like at retail stores.
16. What’s your favorite movie from the last ten years?
I just saw Molly’s Game and it was incredible. Also, Free Solo made me fall off my couch.
17. What’s the most delicious bite of food you’ve ever had?
The Indonesian “drunken fried chicken” at Wallflower restaurant in Venice. It’s marinated in beer and herbs so the meat is really tender, and the skin is sweet and salty and spicy and crunchy and smoky. It’s just wow. They only have it on Sundays and it usually sells out by dinner.
18. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about yourself as a leader?
Getting into leadership is intense, because your organization becomes a reflection and magnification of who you are. If you have blind spots, hang-ups, weaknesses, ego, etc, that all shows up as dysfunction in the team. So I’ve learned that becoming a more self-aware and actualized person is the best way to be a better leader.
And to be humble. So so humble. Because the work is harder than it looks, and it’s a journey not a destination!
19. What are the 3 most versatile pieces that every woman needs in her closet? Be specific.
Easy! Great jeans that makes your butt look great and bring you joy when you put them on. Fresh white sneakers, keep ‘em clean. And a well-cut trench coat in black or khaki, the true swiss army knife of fashion.
20. Is social media ruining our brains?
Oh for sure.
21. Describe your actual bedtime routine.
I put Latisse on my eyebrows, get in bed, wrap myself in a Barefoot Dreams blanket, and play online Scrabble with my mom while telling myself to put the phone down. That goes on for a while until I actually put the phone down and fall asleep.
22. What’s your relationship with bangs?
We’ve dated but it’s not a long-term fit.
23. What's your single favorite brand for each of these categories:
Gorgeous, long-lasting bags that don't break the bank: Cuyana.
Everyday staples that last forever: Re/Done.
Special occasion pieces that deeply speak to your soul: Loewe, Celine, Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten.
Size-inclusive clothes that look amazing on everyone: Henning by Lauren Chan makes perfect, luxurious suits and basics.
Sustainable, ethical, or eco-friendly brand that doesn't make us feel like hippies: Just shop vintage.
Beautiful, high quality shoes that don't cost the same as a mortgage: Gucci loafers cost around $200 on Tradesy and will last a decade or more.
What is your single favorite:
Wellness product that *actually* works: GHK-CU peptide.
Lip balm: Pure lanolin.
Jeans brand: Re/Done.
Mascara: Honest Beauty Extreme Length Mascara with Primer.
Sweats: Kith.
Effective “lady” product: Cora tampons.
Last minute gift: Tradesy gift card.
Bra: Natori, they all just fit.
Shampoo: Whatever is at Whole Foods.
Comfortable shoes: Converse.
Everyday bag: Right now, it’a Bottega Arco Tote.
Guilty-pleasure TV show: Love Island: UK.
Drink: Aperol Spritz.
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