Olivia Perez | Collector Profile
Olivia Perez is a fashion journalist, content creator, and the host of the style podcast Friend of a Friend. You can usually find her on Instagram planning outfits, sharing trends on the Today Show, or in her hometown Malibu with her fiancé and their pup, Bodie.
TAPPAN
Why would you recommend Tappan to someone looking for art?
OLIVIA PEREZ
I love collecting with Tappan because I know I’ll always walk away having learned something new. Whether I’m learning about a new technique or an emerging artist, Tappan has become that go-to destination for me to expand my knowledge of the art world.
TAPPAN
What inspires you to collect the work of emerging artists?
OLIVIA PEREZ
Being able to support someone from the beginning and watch their art evolve always feels like a gift. I love watching ideas evolve and be able to support the next generation of thought leaders in this space. With emerging designers you also get to meet so many of them since they're just starting out, and that's when I feel most connected to a piece. When I know the person who made it and am inspired by them as a person and their artistry.
TAPPAN
What is your earliest memory of art, and what led you to start collecting it?
OLIVIA PEREZ
My mom has impeccable taste in pretty much everything, but especially art. Growing up she surrounded my siblings and I with art across all mediums and that instilled the love for it that I have today. There was a large tapestry in my childhood home that she turned into pillows that we all have in our homes today, and it reminds me of the power of art, how it can live on for generations, and connect people.
Flower Power by Cheryl Humphreys
“Being able to support someone from the beginning and watch their art evolve always feels like a gift. I love watching ideas evolve and be able to support the next generation of thought leaders in this space.”
TAPPAN
Is there a particular type of art you collect?
OLIVIA PEREZ
I love all art, but paintings always have the power to teleport me to another dimension, whether they’re based on reality or not. I love that each painting feels like a unique perspective I’ll never find anywhere else.
TAPPAN
Where and when do you feel the most creative?
OLIVIA PEREZ
When I’m with my closest friends and family and feel most like myself.
TAPPAN
Where do you draw inspiration from?
OLIVIA PEREZ
I love being out in nature. I grew up in California by the beach and always feel inspired whenever I spend time there. I often take road trips and travel because I always come back feeling like I’ve discovered something new about myself.
TAPPAN
For new collectors, do you have any advice you wish to impart; Do you have a collecting ethos or philosophy that you want to share?
OLIVIA PEREZ
I love when I see a piece of art and have a visceral reaction to it. Maybe it makes me smile or think deeper about what I’m feeling. That’s always been the driving ethos behind the art I collect. You can easily get caught up in what the “cool” thing is to buy, but if you don’t have an emotional connection to the piece it will never be a good investment.
TAPPAN
Describe your collection in three words.
OLIVIA PEREZ
Eclectic, joyful, soothing
