Sustainability and second-hand shopping are all everyone in fashion seem to talk about these days and for good reason.
The climate is in crisis, as is the cost-of-living, so it makes sense that people are turning to sites such as eBay and Depop to snag a bargain or re-sell belongings that are just gathering dust.
Controversially, popular re-sale site, Vestiaire Collective has announced a ban on fast fashion on their platform as they focus on high-end and designer brands instead.
Vestiaire is looking to cement itself in the luxury resale market. Image from Alamy
According to research by the Bussiness of Fashion, roughly five percent of items posted on the site were from fast fashion giants, such as Boohoo and so whilst it might not make up a large percentage of their content, this move could push users away to apps such as Depop or Vinted.
“My understanding was that Vestiaire Collectives was a marketplace for second-hand quality and luxury products, I wouldn’t have expected to find fast fashion product on their website,” said Mathilde Charpail, founder of Sustain your style.
“In my opinion, either they made a loud announcement with little or no action, or their definition of fast fashion is different than mine. On other second-hand platforms such as Vinted customers can find fast fashion products. Which in my opinion has an environmental value because once a product is produced it is better to give it a longer life rather than throw it away and produce a new one.”
The decision is an attempted push to distance the company from overconsumption, but removing the ability to extend the life of these mass-produced garments could be seen as a move to hinder mindful buying and promote the binning of these cheaper items.
Image from Alamy
The decision also further pushes the app into the luxury market, which may or may not affect its popularity: only time will tell.
