Why selling your unused fashion items can be good for the environment
Take a long hard look at your wardrobe and ask yourself this: When was the last time you felt like y'all had absolutely goose egg to wearable even though the inundation racks of wear and surplus of shoes and bags tell you otherwise?
Inspired by modern day ownership behaviours and a keen interest in re-joining the style industry later the birth of her children, Moizant banded together with five friends of hers to create a company that provided a sustainable way to consume fashion. While at that place'southward been an encouraging growth in attitudes towards sustainability of late (both from brands as well as customers), Vestiaire Collective has been championing this movement for a decade since their inception in 2009. And with a recent written report in March 2019 from retail analytics firm GlobalData predicting that the 2d-hand economic system – valued at US$24 billion (S$32.7 billion) as of 2022 – will surpass fast fashion retailers past one.5 times inside the next ten years, information technology seems like Moizant was on the right track all long.
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In town to launch the site's VIP Concierge Service in Singapore, we speak to Moizant on the challenges of the luxury resale market place as well as consumer'southward changing attitudes towards sustainability in fashion.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START VESTAIRE Collective?
About x years agone, I came across an article in the French press about the "Recessionistas", a group of women who were trying to resell their pre-loved items in the heart of the recession on their blogs. I thought this was an interesting phenomenon and had actually wanted to buy from them just information technology was very inefficient. You had to be the first to electronic mail them, reserve an item, so send a cheque in the mail – I just didn't have time for that. I idea it was a cool thought and the futurity of shopping, but considering information technology was so inconvenient it was never going to take off. I was inspired to do something similar but on a wider scale and platform.
As THE SECOND-HAND MARKET WAS ALREADY PRETTY PREVALENT IN PARIS, HOW DID YOU TRY TO SET YOURSELF APART FROM THOSE BUSINESSES?
We didn't invent the 2nd-hand market simply we disrupted it. We brought trust because we were able to authenticate the items. Back and so if y'all bought something from a site similar Ebay there was no manner of verifying its authenticity. If y'all went to a second-mitt store, sometimes the items are not in the all-time condition. The shops were also very local to the market, and if you don't live in the area you lot're less likely to shop there. We wanted to elevate the way people shopped and help globalise the market.
"We didn't invent the second-manus market but we disrupted information technology." – Fanny Moizant
HOW DO YOU UPKEEP THE QUALITY Command OF THE ITEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE SELLING?
Authentication is the pillar of the brand, and nosotros have always put a lot of accent on this. In 2012, we signed a charter with the French authorities and luxury houses to ensure that we work behind the scenes with the brands to receive the proper training [on how to authenticate luxury appurtenances] and accept our questions answered. This charter is all most fighting counterfeits. The brands know it's a problem and that it's better to partner with companies like united states to control what nosotros put online, rather than people who don't care and offload tons of counterfeit products. We are very committed to this cause.
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DOES EVERYONE IN THE Visitor GO THROUGH RIGOROUS Training?
Yes. We have the Vestiaire Academy where we document all of our knowledge. Our new experts are trained at the University followed past a partnership with a senior practiced for at least six months before they are allowed to work apart. But fifty-fifty before this all-encompassing training, we ensure the people nosotros hire have the correct groundwork and feel. They've either worked in luxury brands or are experts in the field. I of our authenticators fifty-fifty came from an auction house. These people all have some form of exposure already and nosotros elevate them to the next level.
YOU LAUNCHED THE VIP CONCIERGE SERVICE IN APRIL 2019, COULD Yous ELABORATE More than ON THIS AND HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE SERVICE?
We opened the service terminal year in Hong Kong and the demand was so loftier that nosotros at present take a waiting listing there. It is very pop because of the convenience. The VIP squad volition facilitate our customers by personally attending to them and treatment all manners of the sale from collection, photography, list and aircraft.
To qualify for the service, y'all'll demand to have a very desirable wardrobe with a minimum of 10 items – each with a retail value of at least US$500. As our VIP team for Asia is based in Hong Kong, they volition fly into Singapore every other month to attend to our customers.
"Unlike our parents' and grandparents' time, nosotros don't possess things for a lifetime anymore. Nosotros keep them for a curt while and so move on to something new." – Fanny Moizant
Every bit OF 2018, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE RESALE MARKET IS PROJECTED TO GROW MUCH FASTER THAN THE FAST FASHION Market. WHAT DOES THIS TELL U.s.a. Nigh CUSTOMERS' MINDSETS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY?
Information technology tells us that the client has definitely changed. The mindset is leaning towards buying quality stuff and the end of ownership equally we know it. Unlike our parents' and grandparents' time, we don't possess things for a lifetime anymore. We keep them for a short while and then move on to something new.
With social media, it'due south fuelled the industry into producing things much faster. When I was younger, there used to be only two seasons per twelvemonth. Now there'due south drops in between seasons, resort/cruise and capsule collections. I think the consumer is drawn past novelties and would buy things for but one specific event and then never wear it over again.
This is not super sustainable, but a business concern like us exists because of that type of behaviour so information technology's about learning how to requite a longer lifetime to your product and to embrace more sustainable fashion consumption.
WAS SUSTAINABILITY A Core VALUE OF YOUR COMPANY WHEN YOU STARTED?
The core of our business organisation is well-nigh how we can prevent waste product in fashion. We grew up with parents telling united states of america not to be wasteful, to conserve energy when possible, and naturally, I applied it to style. We didn't want to push it in people's faces that nosotros are all about sustainability peculiarly when people weren't ready for it even so. Now that the mentality has changed, people are more than receptive. It's not going to change the world but it does assist your carbon footprint and the massive pollution problem in the fashion industry.
IS THE GROWING RECEPTION TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY SOMETHING YOU FORESAW WHEN YOU STARTED THE Company?
Yes, considering when you come across the shopping patterns, it's a trend that'due south very fascinating. In the past 10 years, fashion consumers are ownership twice as more products and yet nosotros are using xl per cent less of what nosotros purchase. This is past essence not sustainable, so at some point it was going to come crashing down. We had the belief that nosotros had to exercise something early to modify the system for the better.
Vestiaire Collective recently launched a "Buy, Sell, Share, Care" guide on sustainable 'round fashion'. Find out more here .
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/access/selling-your-unused-fashion-items-is-good-for-the-environment-225576
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