Who are you?

My name is Tye Engmann, I run @Curatedvan on Instagram. I’m 21 years old from Vancouver, Canada.

Have you always been into sneakers?

“A while ago, I got my first pair of 85s (2016-2017) and they weren’t even wearable. I started to learn more about them over a long period of time.  I feel like I’ve always been into rarer stuff, especially older shoes because of the historic context behind them. I honestly took inspiration from Justin Reed and his very curated collection”.

“I’ve always into sneakers and vintage clothing. I’d rather go to the thrift and buy secondhand clothes that is unique than getting something else that everyone else wears”.

How did you build your brand?

I originally started painting shoes and doing customs to build up money. I never thought it would get to where it is today, but I had to push myself a lot to build up the brand and business.”

“The brand grew bigger because I had the Ari Saal Menthol AF1, and Lil Yachty was looking to purchase them. After facetiming with him and showing him all the shoes I had, I was able to sell to Lil Yachty and get a repost from him so that gained a lot of traction for the brand. A lot of the things sort of just happened by chance because I was never driven by the money, was mostly interested in curating a collection”.

Where do you source most of your inventory/collection?

“The brand has built up enough to where they reach out to me to buy older Jordans or sbs, especially when the complex article came out. Word of mouth is the biggest source of bringing in pairs. Lot of people understand that I can’t pay full retail, but there are many times where I will pay what a person wants just to be able to own them. I know ill never be able to see them again”.

What’s the most you’ve sold a pair of sneakers for?

“Last week I sold a deadstock pair of Chicago Jordan 1s for $19,000”.

Are there any shoes you’re still looking for?

“Still looking for 5 colors from the original 85 metallic series: purple, black, burgundy, orange and blue low. That would complete the entire Jordan 1 collection”.

Any other Jordans you are interested in collecting?

“Jordan 3s, but original 3s are becoming impossible to find. I have a pair of original white cement 3s that so many collectors want to buy but I’m only willing to trade them for a pair of metallics”.

What is your core audience like?

“Majority of audience and buyers are from the vintage side of things, but I have followers ranging from teenagers to older collectors”.

What are some famous celebrities that you have sold to?

“Kevin Hart, Lil Yachty, Devin Booker, Takeoff, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Alexander Walker and a few more”.

What are some future plans for the brand?

“Right now, continuing to push what has built my brand today. Potentially could open an archive or showroom in the future but not in Vancouver, probably in NYC, LA, Shanghai”.