The value of goods is becoming increasingly driven by pop culture. The world’s leading fashion houses, like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, are hip to the moment, collaborating with urban-centric brands such as Nike and Supreme to create wallet-busting sneakers, backpacks, and duffle bags—our twenty-first-century collectors’ items.
Seve Alvarez, a thirty-something Greenville native, and son of former Atlanta Braves pitcher Jose Alvarez, tapped into this market years ago, first investing in clothing. His collection has grown to include exclusive shoes, accessories, fine art, and more. It’s highbrow meets street style, and Alvarez is seemingly at the center of it all. His story is the epitome of hard work and fate—he’s been at the right place at the right time while delivering a can-do attitude, creative mindset, and winning personality. Now, he has access to some of the world’s most coveted brands, procuring rare items for clients while keeping others for himself. Alvarez is adamant that his experience isn’t unique, that we all have the ability to acquire such goods if we educate ourselves on what is worth the investment.
But it isn’t just the acquisition that fuels Seve. He genuinely appreciates the artistry of well-made goods and the creative collaborations that bring them to life. As much as he is awed by the thing, he’s moved by the concept and the seemingly limitless possibilities that exist in his uber-illustrious style sandbox. The collaboration is Seve’s inspiration, and the result—a shoe, skateboard, jacket, or chair—becomes larger than life.
We explore the power of collaboration and the art of luxury in this issue via one-of-a-kind jewelry, accessories, expertly engineered gear, sublime food and travel, and more.
It’s important to note, however, that the things we covet were once ideas. Products, then, are concepts embodied—often made meaningful by their connections to influential brands led by exceptional minds, crafted with the best materials. They are mysterious, elusive. Unusual. Top of the line. It’s the everyday enmeshed in a dream. That’s where Seve lives.