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Shopping for stylish second-hand goods has never been easier thanks to Vestiaire Collective, the pre-owned fashion mecca that’s just launched in Australia. Here, co-founder Fanny Moizant reveals how best to uncover a vintage gem…
For first timers, how do you describe the site? “Vestiaire is very simply a marketplace that’s dedicated to re-sale fashion. Our aim is to enable fashion lovers to buy and sell the amazing things they have in their wardrobes. [We cover] female, male, kids and even lifestyle products, so it’s a very broad platform.”
How does it all work? “Every piece had been curated by a team of stylists, whose job is to create the most appealing, attractive and desirable inventory on site. Once the product has been sold, the seller will ship it to us and we physically do the quality control and authentication. We obviously don’t want any fake product to go through the site, but we also want to make sure that it fits the description. The last element is more social – Vestiaire is a community of 6 million fashion lovers and the aim is to enable engagement. Because if I see a great product I will find out who’s behind it, what else she has to sell and have a conversation with her.”
How do you hope to change the shopping habits of Australian women? “The people that are coming to Vestiaire become smarter shoppers. There are two behaviours on the shopping side of things – the first one is the price. “I’m waiting to get a beautiful bag but don’t have the money to buy it new, so I’ll find a way to access my dream product.” The second one is more towards “I’ve missed that product – it’s last season or already sold out and I’ll find it, even at a better price.” The two combined give a new approach, plus the social element – you get to know the person behind what you’re buying. The selling site is also very smart because you live on the same amount of money you dedicate to your wardrobe. If you apply the one in one out rule it’s done – your banker is happy, your husband or boyfriend is happy, everybody’s happy! The selling site is not open in Australia for the moment because of logistics – we’re creating a hub in Hong Kong which will be set up at the end of the year or early next year.”
What are the most popular pieces on site? “Definitely the iconic brands – Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton for example. The fastest selling piece was a Birken bag that went in 17 seconds!”
Want to check it out for yourself? You can shop our favourite finds at our sister site StyledBymarieclaire.com.au.
