Fancy getting your hands on a limited-edition Audemars Piguet or a rare Bugatti Chiron, but don’t know how to go about it? Well, fret not, because brotherly act Levi and Solomon Pastor, founders of Pastor & Co., are here to lend a helping hand or two. As expert curators of the world’s most rare and limited luxury products, from artworks to private jets, there seemingly isn’t a highly coveted luxury item Pastor & Co. cannot source and find.
Ong Chin Huat speaks to both brothers to find out how both of them got started, whether they have ever been fooled by counterfeits and the psychology behind seeking out and owning extremely rare luxury products.
Pastor & Co
For the one percenter of the world’s wealthiest people, looking for rare and inordinate objects, say a limited edition Patek Philippe, an Andy Warhol silkscreen painting or a much coveted and sought-after pair of sneakers might prove too time-consuming and frustrating. Where does one even begin?
That’s where Pastor & Co. comes in. As expert curators of the world’s most rare and limited luxury products – from art pieces to private jets – super luxury sourcing and service company Pastor & Co has a presence in London, New York, Dubai and Hong Kong and has curated unique and hard-to-find luxury products for their high-net-worth clients which include Hollywood celebrities, European, Middle Eastern and Asian Royal families and members of international business elites, who live by the mantra that money is no object.
The company was founded by brothers, Solomon and Levi Pastor – aged 28 and 21 respectively, who began their entrepreneur journey at a young age where they started sourcing and authenticating limited-release sneakers and apparel for pop stars and other music artists. Both dropped out of school at 16 years of age with Solomon initially pursuing a football career while Levi became obsessed with sneakers.
Levi became so well-versed in identifying the authenticity of sneakers that his reputation spread far and wide among the sneaker community. Before long, UK rappers such as Stormzy, Jae5, Mist, NGS and Fredo, as well as US artists such as Migos, Pop Smoke and Slim Jxmmi, came a calling.
They soon expanded their business beyond the music industry and created SneakerPlug which gained a stellar reputation for verified authenticity among the sneaker community.
Soon, their reputation caught the attention of online luxury platform Farfetch, and this led to a partnership which not only provided access to highly sought after new release sneakers but also expanded to include exclusive timepieces, artworks, handbags, homeware and collectables for discerning and high-spending clients. They formed Pastor & Co when they realised that SneakerPlug had outgrown its moniker and original raison d’état.
Luxurious Magazine: Both of you are relatively young. Have you always wanted to be in business working for yourselves?
Solomon: I always knew I wanted more than my peers, and I never did enjoy environments like school that didn’t really encourage individualism. I think both myself and I have been influenced by our parents, who have always owned their own businesses, and it was a natural path for us both to go down, yes.
LM: Are your parents involved in any way in your business? Either financially or as advisors?
Levi: My parents initially gave me a $300 loan to buy sneakers, which essentially kick-started the business.
Solomon: We are blessed to have parents who have not only run a successful business for almost 30 years but who offer valuable advice and encouragement. Lately, our father has come on board to assist with PR, and our mother is now head of communications.
LM: You started off sourcing limited edition sneakers but your business has now grown to encompass other luxury items – which items account for the top five for your business?
Solomon: Our top 5 most popular categories certainly start with luxury fashion and footwear, followed by timepieces & jewellery, rare vehicles, then art and luxury homeware.
LM: What is the most expensive item you have sourced for your client? How much was it?
Solomon: The most expensive item we have sold to date was an off-market Picasso artwork to a Swiss client. The selling price is undisclosed as we must maintain confidentiality for our clients.
LM: How many people do you have in your team? What do you think sets Pastor & Co apart from other concierge services?
Solomon: We currently have 15 permanent staff members split between our three main offices in London, Dubai and Hong Kong. We also outsource certain workloads, such as web development and marketing, when needed.
What really sets us apart is our attention to detail in regard to what high-net-worth consumers expect to receive as a service. I would not directly call Pastor & Co. a concierge service as we are much more than a concierge in the classic sense due to the level of exclusivity of the items we are able to offer and help our clients find. We not only fulfil straight requests but we really get to know our clients and advise them accordingly.
We recommend items that we think would work for them and orient them towards investment pieces in place of an item they may have first enquired about where appropriate. Pastor & Co. are expert curators of the world’s most rare and exclusive items, covering categories from sneakers & ready wear for both luxury and hyped brands, timepieces & jewellery, art & luxury homeware, fine wines & spirits, vehicles, private jets, yachts and real estate. We, therefore, cover a different set of categories than what a conventional concierge service would.
Since myself and Levi have extensive knowledge of all categories, we are able to better service clients through transparent communication and advice, as well as tireless work in acquiring items for clients.
Other large corporate companies cannot say the same, as Company Directors are detached from their customer base. We pride ourselves on the direct relationships we build with all our clients, VIP or otherwise, through extensive knowledge and passion for the business.
LM: Does Pastor & Co guarantee authenticity? Has there been an incident when you have been fooled by imitations or fakes?
Both: Yes Pastor & Co. only supply authentic items. We have a passion for the luxury items we help our clients find. Sometimes the process of making a sale involves lengthy discussions to understand a client’s taste, how it would look, the history of certain items, material etc.
We too are consumers of luxury goods and so we service clients in a manner that we as consumers would like to be serviced. We are proud to have never sold a single fake item in our company’s history, however, there have been occasions where an individual has attempted to offer us with fakes and for this reason we work very closely with a select group of trusted suppliers whom we’ve had a strong relationship for many years.
Our depth of knowledge means that there is no piece of hardware on a Birkin Bag or texture of the dial of an Audemars Piguet timepiece that will get past us.
LM: Without revealing your sources, how do you go about sourcing rare and limited-edition items not readily available in the market? Is it through personal contacts or with the brands themselves?
Both: Sometimes, we acquire certain items directly from brands, either through our personal shopping service or through our contacts for those more elusive items that are not available on the shop floor. It is imperative to understand the industry. For example, some items are regionally exclusive, meaning they are only available in specific stores depending on the country.
Pastor & Co. have clients in every region across the globe meaning we can acquire an item from a store in Europe for a client who is based in the Middle East for example. For higher valued items such as Art and fine wines & spirits, we have a network of owners who mostly store pieces in New York and Geneva.
While items such as vehicles mostly come from European countries such as Germany. Our supply of private jets and yachts are also housed mostly in Europe.
LM: What do you think is the psychology behind people who are eager to possess rare and limited-edition luxury items?
Solomon: As mentioned previously, me and Levi are consumers ourselves so we understand the allure of owning a rare and exclusive item. Like many things in life, if something is hard to acquire then the more attractive it becomes and that’s no different for luxury goods.
Many of our clients have developed a taste for the highest quality materials and craftsmanship whether they are requesting a custom 1 of 1 Chrome Hearts bag, or a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, the concept is the same.
Clients also purchase exclusive luxury products that are not widely available because they enjoy the uniqueness. Purchases are investments as a very rare and exclusive item that holds and grows in value, and Pastor & Co. is always on hand to advise clients on better pieces to purchase for an investment.
For example, we have many clients who are sports car enthusiasts, however, they may not realise that a certain spec can be more valuable to own, or certain details included in the car make it more valuable.
LM: Your clients are international, but which are your top three markets in the world?
Solomon: Our top three markets are the US, Middle East and APAC regions.
LM: What is your definition of luxury?
Both: Our definition of luxury is something that represents the highest possible quality and attention to detail, paired with the very best service. It is that and much more. Luxury comes with established history and longevity, so is above consumerism. For collectors, subconsciously or consciously, luxury brings sentiment and evokes feelings of belonging to an exclusive club.
If it’s an original Picasso or a limited-edition Audemars Piguet you are after, please visit www.pastorandco.com for further information on how to get your hands on these luxury products.
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