#7: Get to know the Future Reference team
Plus, how to keep 100% of your next sale with our referral program
In this issue:
Behind The Scenes: The faces behind Future Reference
What’s New: Our referral program is here and it’s good
What’s Next: A sneak peek at next week’s post (you don’t want to miss this)
Team Future Reference
We’re thrilled to see our Substack community grow and wanted to introduce the team at Future Reference for your reference. We’re sharing what we do at F|R, our best fashion scores and the ones we’re giving a new home, our favorite Substacks, plus a perfect Saturday in our respective cities (get ready for insider tips for Chicago, New York, and San Francisco).
Claire Illmer | Founder
What I Do: A little bit of everything :)
Purchase I’m Loving: My Sophie Buhai Anna Earrings. I originally purchased these for my wedding, but I really wanted to invest in pieces I wouldn’t just wear once and I’ve loved adding these to my rotation. They can dress up jeans and a t-shirt but also work for a night out, and I love that putting them on reminds me of such a special day.
What I’m Selling: My vintage John Galliano Christian Dior (circa 2002) Suede Skirt. I bought this at James Veloria in NYC many moons ago. I still love it so much but it’s a bit too big and really impossible to tailor, and because of that I don’t find myself reaching for it. I feel like with Coachella coming up and boho being back, it’s the perfect time to sell so it can go to another home where it will get some real styling!
Substack Spotlight: I’ve been loving Shelcy Joseph’s Market Appointment. The newsletter lies at my favorite intersection of fashion and psychology and why trends happen with a lens of cultural understanding. I’m into the new series Why They Bought It which interviews tastemakers on the appeal of certain cult items like the Margiela Tabi. I hope she features the return of boat shoes at some point because the trend fascinates me.
New York Can’t Miss: Now that it’s getting nice out, here’s my perfect New York day: Go all the way uptown to get breakfast at Café Sabarsky before peeking into whatever show is at the Neue Gallery. Then walk downtown (maybe hit the new Toteme store on Madison) to pop into the Met before ending the day with a drink outside at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Clock some steps, get some culture, and do some great people watching.
Tina Boetto | Content Marketing
What I Do: You might know that I’m a huge secondhand fan from my Substack Semi-Sustainable, so working on the Substack marketing strategy (posts, notes, and all) for Future Reference as I wrap up my MBA this spring is a dream come true.
What I’m Loving: I’m still in awe of my most recent The RealReal finds - this Frankie Shop pant and Anine Bing jacket are already in heavy rotation. I’ve been searching secondhand high and low for a high-waist pant long enough to puddle at the hem and finally found it in the Frankie Shop trouser. This Anine Bing jacket is my first foray into preloved leather after making the decision to switch from vegan to secondhand leather and I’m so happy to have found a silhouette and fabric with longevity.
What I’m Selling: I bought this Isabel Marant Milly sweatshirt when I was in my sweatshirt era, but I’m not reaching for it as often now that I’m leaning more heavily into a tailored minimalist aesthetic. The Milly is still a core item on the Isabel Marant website and I’d be thrilled to find this a home with someone that loves the look but not the price.
Substack Spotlight: between friends is the best insider look into what it’s like to be a fashion editor. I loved living vicariously through Kia Desiree Goosby as she chronicled the shows and the re-sees from AW25 Fashion Month. I also now want to own everything from MKDT Studio after reading Kia’s For the love of Scandi fashion post.
San Francisco Can’t Miss: You truly can’t miss a ride in a Waymo. The joy of singing out loud by yourself in a car that makes April Fools’ Day jokes is an experience like no other. Also check out the iconic Ferry Building, home to the famous Saturday Farmer’s Market and Fog City Flea featuring Bay Area vendors. Then grab a chai latte at Saint Frank in East Cut to fuel up for a trip to the Mission District. Stop at local stores Needles & Pens (Le Bon Shoppe sock heaven), Baggu (the chicest reusable bags), and Dandelion Chocolate (chocolate - need I say more?). Perfect Saturday complete.
Gena Palmieri | Strategy
What I Do: My role at Future Reference is all about understanding our users – what they value most and how we can translate that into our marketing and product experience, from signup all the way to first listing. My goal is to not just bring more users to the platform, but to create continuous value that keeps people coming back
What I’m Loving: I recently returned from a two week trip to India and indulged in all of the incredible shopping they had to offer! Jaipur had the most stunning boutiques, one of which was The Palace Atelier. I quite literally had to restrain myself from purchasing everything in the store, but walked away with this beautiful Aari embroidered (a traditional craft practiced in Rajasthan) pink silk bag.
What I’m Selling: I’m considering selling my lug sole loafers from Steve Madden. I previously bought the Gucci lug sole loafers on The RealReal, but decided I didn’t wear them enough to justify what I spent and ended up selling them on Vestiaire Collective. Flash forward a few months later and I found myself thinking about them, so decided to invest in a less expensive option. Now I find myself reaching for an entirely different silhouette of loafer and would love to take my earnings and apply as a little “discount” to these gorgeous Miu Miu penny loafers.
Substack Spotlight: I am obsessed with denna at the strict list. Denna has incredible taste and finds the most fun and unique pieces. She shares lots of fashion, lifestyle, and travel content. One of the best things she creates are the most magical city guides you’ve ever seen - think Ojai, California, South of France, and Uruguay (hopefully coming soon based on her dreamy Instagram!).
Chicago Can’t Miss: If you ever find yourself in Chicago, I highly recommend you make an appointment at Outfit Repeater – a curated vintage shop with one of the best bag selections I’ve ever seen! I purchased a Loewe Suede Amazona which single-handedly emotionally got me through the winter.
Margaret | Growth Marketing
What I Do: I help the FR team come up with innovative ways to bring more users onto the platform. This can look like anything from customer feedback collection to launching new partner programs (stay tuned) – anything that makes Future Reference work better for more people.
What I’m Loving: Obsessed with the new Ganni pointed-toe mules (I have these in cream). I keep expecting GANNI shoes to fall off the radar for a season and they simply never do. Also really into this vintage leather Moschino vest that I picked up at Not a Normal Market a few months ago because it’s super versatile.
What I’m Selling: My mom’s vintage Burberry coat that she bought in Switzerland in 1986 - a perfect little black puffer that got many years of love from both her and me. Given my hefty supply of puffer coats for New York winter, I decided it was time to pass along to a new home.
Substack Spotlight: I’m newer to Substack but have been really enjoying Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me for her takes on news and pop culture. Mary Korlin-Downs at All Things Fashion Tech also has cool highlights of how the industry is evolving to use new technologies.
New York Can’t Miss: I’m a huge promoter of the recent Broadway slate of celebrity shows. I saw Romeo + Juliet with Rachel Zegler & Kit Conner, which led to me buying tickets for four more openings this spring. Next one up is John Proctor is the Villain with Sadie Sink!
anneke | Social Media
What I Do: I help develop and design the content for the FR social media pages across Instagram and TikTok.
What I’m Loving: I have been obsessed with throwback Isabel Marant sneakers for years now. The Bekett Wedge Sneakers have been on my wishlist since I was in high school and I was crushed when they became super trendy because now I can’t find a single pair under $600.
What I’m Selling: I have these Zadig Voltaire Zebra mules and I never wear them. I recently made a post about how zebra print is making a huge resurgence and I might hop on that wave and sell these. I got them at my first sample sale when I moved to New York so I’ve been super hesitant about getting rid of them, but I'm trying to remember that they literally just collect dust in my closet.
Substack Spotlight: Ever since I joined Substack a few months ago, I’ve been obsessed with rayne fisher-quann’s writing at internet princess. She has the perfect balance between criticism and lightheartedness infused into her think pieces. I particularly enjoyed her piece Choosing to walk which talked about AI-writing software.
New York Can’t Miss: As a student it’s not rare to find me on a Sunday in the New York Public Library’s main branch by Bryant Park. I love the Rose room and find it the perfect place to get work done and study. Currently I’ve been doing a lot of wandering around the Lower East Side. I love co-op bookstore Bluestockings Cooperative since they have such a good vibe.
More Friends = More Money
Exciting news: we’re launching our referral program that can help you and a friend earn more to level up your wardrobe. When you refer a friend and they list their first item, the 10% service fee is on us1 and you both get to keep 100% of your next sale. Time to finally list that Coach Brooklyn bag sitting in the back of your closet...
It’s As Easy as 1-2-3:
Share your unique referral code with your inner circle (Substack friends count)
They sign up with your link and list their first item
You both earn one fee-free sale
The best part? You can refer as many friends as you like and earn one fee-free sale for each referral. Even better? Your fee-free referral credits don’t expire and stay in your account until they’re applied to your next sale.
Click on our FAQs for more details or drop any questions in the comments below.
Sneak Peek: Interviewing our Founder
Calling all fashion tech friends! Next week’s post will be an interview with Future Reference’s founder Claire Illmer. We’ll be diving in deep, covering Claire’s background at Google and ThredUp, how her perspective on shopping and style has evolved, and her best resale tips.
If you can’t wait for next week, check out Claire’s episode on Fashion & Founders2 on Substack or Apple podcasts, and her interview with Brandiose here.
Have any burning questions for the Future Reference team, from resale tips to even more insider recs for Chicago, New York, or San Francisco? We’re here for you in the comments.
Join us on Substack Notes, Instagram, and TikTok for your daily dose of everything secondhand fashion.
Note: We may make a small commission if you purchase from the links in our email.
Issued as a fee-free credit once your friend lists their first item, automatically applied to your next sale.
Tina’s fun fact: I was so impressed by Claire’s Fashion & Founders episode that I immediately reached out to her to learn more about Future Reference and the rest is history.
How I love a little Substack meet-cute. Thank you for sharing the whole team. It’s so refreshing to see a team that lives their passion.
Absolutely stacked team!! So happy to be working with you all!