LAUNCHING in the spring of 2018, Middleman Store’s debut was a momentous occasion. Partnering with Grailed for an exclusive 100-piece sale of some of the most sought-after pieces in the community, the duo behind it, Clif Shayne and Kyle Julian Skye, went one step further to ensure they had a lasting impact – by creating a “lookbook”.
Carefully curating a winter-ready selection, the lookbook set a precedent for the store, one in which items would be dropped weekly, all the while keeping mindful of fashion’s seasonal calendar.
Middleman Store’s wide-angle lens, which encompasses creations from the 1970s to the 21st century and details the cyclical nature of fashion, has garnered them a legion of enthusiasts, with comments such as, “please don’t stop, your page is nothing but inspiration” being a regular occurrence.
It’s this appreciation for the finer details as well as the finer items that has led them to venture into celebrity dressing too, working with Playboi Carti and Drake among others.
In archival menswear, they’re pioneers of an ever-growing industry, and have been invited to share their expertise on Grailed, the largest online menswear marketplace, sell their archival luxury on an exclusive Fall Exhibit by GOAT, and host pop-ups in a variety of established stores. Where they will lead the menswear conversation next is eagerly awaited.
Cliff of Middleman
Kyle of Middleman
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD/MALCOLM McLAREN ’70s Punk gang muslin shirt from their shared shop Seditionaries. I don’t think anyone can take a look at a Seditionaries piece and not marvel at the debauchery these clothes must have borne witness to.
Can you tell our readers about the purpose behind the Middleman Store?
Without getting too esoteric, Middleman is about cultivating an aesthetic vision via garments from our favourite designers throughout the past decades.
How did you each begin your collection?
Kyle: I couldn’t afford to buy Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent collections, so I began buying his Dior Homme and ‘90s YSL work off eBay. Back then, it was cheap. But then the world began emphasising archival stuff and it became more expensive. Initially, I was annoyed. But when I saw the reactions to my wardrobe, I had a moment of clarity for the collection I had gathered.
Clif: I grew up skateboarding, which led me to Supreme and then consequently to high fashion, with Raf Simons, Hedi Slimane and Jun Takashi piquing my interest at first. I met Kyle through the forum KanyeToThe, and he taught me the ins and outs of buying – he was a prominent seller on Grailed. Middleman came about naturally as we were sharing our buys every day.
How would you describe the Middleman Store customer?
Someone with a specific vision for themselves, and an interest in furthering that ideal. It’s not about buying a new wardrobe; it’s about finding exactly what’s missing.
MARGOT DE TAXCO VIPER JEWELRY 1955. I have a long running affinity for desert snakes, so this antique jewellery set was a must-find for me. Recently sourced from a dealer in Mexico.
RAF SIMONS SS04 hand-drawn/watercolour Siddhartha coat. Truly one of a kind, and most likely from the runway.
AFFA 1994 MA-1 bomber jacket. These jackets are nearly impossible to find outside of Japan
and it took three years to get one.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
Kyle: My aesthetic reflects my memories of strange details I fixated on throughout my childhood. A mixture of the flamboyant cowboys in Death Valley and the seedy guys at the business soirees my parents dragged me to.
Clif: I’m starting to dress like a guy at an Owl City concert in 2009.
Where do you source your items?
We each spend several hours a day exploring avenues for sourcing, but many of the greatest discoveries come out of utterly random places. A family friend once casually revealed to me that she was schoolmates with a legendary designer. Her storage locker turned out to be one of the most incredible treasure troves I’ve ever seen in person.
I understand that you have an exclusive collection of womenswear pieces, is there a noticeable difference trying to source and sell “grailed status” womenswear items in comparison to menswear?
Very different. Firstly, womenswear puts more emphasis on silhouette than menswear does. Similarly, there has always been more of an established world of archival women’s clothing, and while there are times we’ve felt like we’ve led the charge towards certain aesthetics in menswear, when it comes to womenswear, we’re a small fish in a big pond.
GIANNI VERSACE Lace-layered leather coat. Though drowned out by the boldness of his baroque silks, I’ve always loved the gothic undertones of much of Gianni’s jewellery and leatherwork. 
RAF SIMONS AW00 Confusion patched bomber jacket. My all-time favourite Raf Simons piece. I’ve always loved his collegiate pieces, and this one is especially rare with the liner included.
What has been the greatest take away from building a contemporary vintage fashion business?
When we launched Middleman, we didn’t set out to run a full-time company, it was a passion project. Things are very different nowadays but along the way we were hit with harsh lessons about treating this like a real business. We ended up losing treasured pieces.
Your extensive knowledge on a multitude of designers is impressive, where do you go for your research?
Clif: Fellow collectors were the most helpful resource to me when I was starting out. There are many details that aren’t posted online (although that’s starting to change), and the only way to learn them is through talking to more seasoned collectors and handling pieces in person.
Which current designers can you see Middleman Store evolving to collect and sell?
What we buy is reflective of the current state of fashion and our interpretation of it, so it’s hard to predict how the past will be symbiotic several years from now. That said, we both have long felt that Demna Gvasalia’s work is special, witnessing his career is like watching the birth of an important iconoclast.
In your opinion, what does our love affair with archival fashion mean for the fashion industry at large?
I think it portends a shift away from reactive, trend-based consumerism, and into a more mainstream acceptance of fashion objects as singular works, whose value is not tied to recency. The shift lends credence to fashion as a medium in which many of our finest living artists operate. It’s an overdue correction of collective public sentiment, frankly.
What opportunities has your collecting afforded you?
Kyle: It’s afforded me more opportunities to do what I love. As Middleman has developed, I’ve been able to work with people who are the best in the world at their personal passions.
Clif: Collecting has completely changed the course of my life. I was in college with little vision, so I dropped out and went full time with the store. As Kyle said, helping artists develop their aesthetic provides endless motivation.
GUCCI BY TOM FORD AW00 hamster fur cardigan. RIP to the hamsters
JEAN PAUL GAULTIER AW99 Mink fur napoleon jacket. The unapologetic decadence of Gaultier’s Fourrure line. This piece is made with mink and Mongolian goat fur and feels like something from a long bygone era of fashion.
by Lily Rimmer