About Vandelay
Vandelay began, like most good things, with a name on a lease and a phone that needed answering. The original import/export firm was founded in lower Manhattan in the early 1990s by a man whose career took him through several industries — latex, primarily, but also architecture, marine biology, and, briefly and unsuccessfully, the manufacture of women's wear. The paperwork was always immaculate. The stories were often better than the inventory.
Three decades later, we are still in the business of moving things across borders, but our catalog has grown. What started as industrial-grade latex has become a curated, consumer-facing collection of objects we believe a thoughtful person ought to own: a well-cut bomber jacket in chestnut shearling, a desk-friendly Festivus pole, a latex pillow that does not remember last night's restlessness, and a felt urban sombrero that is — decisively — for someone.
Our editorial voice was famously described by an early catalog writer as "what J. Peterman would write if he were also responsible for a P&L." We aim for restraint where the temptation is to be flowery. We aim for specificity where most catalogs would gesture vaguely. And we will, on occasion, leave a story unfinished — because the finish would feel forced.
We ship from a small warehouse in New Jersey, take customer calls personally during business hours, and answer every email within one business day. We do not run flash sales. We do not chase trends. And we will never, under any circumstances, refer to a customer as a "user."
Welcome to the catalog. We are glad you are here.