The portal specialized in second hand luxury enters a brand new phase of its open war on fast fashion. Exactly as this one, there are a lot of initiatives and campaigns that call for a boycott and try to educate consumers towards adopting a conscious and green purchasing behaviour. Let’s try to take stock of the situation
Marketplaces specialized in second hand fashion accessories have identified their enemy number one: fast fashion, and they are trying to contrast it. With its latest initiative, Vestiaire Collective takes on this issue face to face, by even using its same weapons: aggressive marketing and influencers. “We are making an additional step forward into the mentality and psychology of clients, precisely right before they purchase a product” – as stated by the cofounder and CEO of Vestiaire Collective Fanny Moizant, during an interview. Here’s how to accomplish that.
Open war on fast fashion
Vestiaire Collective has hired 5 influencers known for their “haul” videos. In other words, “haul” videos are short reels posted on social media that – as written online – “show to the viewer products that are bought in any type of store. The main characteristic of “hauls” is the amount of purchased items, in relation to their total cost”. One of Vestiaire Collective’s latest reels, posted on its Instagram account, shows people that, while sitting, leaf through a fake copy of The Collective magazine, and on its pages stand out phrases against fast fashion and its most important brands, with extremely bold letters. This reel has quickly gone viral and reached thousands of likes and interactions. This campaign will last six months.
Educate followers
The aim is to teach the around 2 million followers of the 5 influencers on the dangerous consequences and effects of fast fashion, and ultimately on the sustainable values promoted by second hand. The initiative includes masterclasses with experts in order to analyze the approach to consumption from different angles. Between them stand out the author of The Psychology of Fashion, Carolyn Mair, and Aja Barber, who published her book Consumed.
The last step of this program will consist in an actual visit to a clothing-waste dump by the influencers, who will be accompanied by the second hand platform. Vestiaire Collective, hopefully supported by the results of this campaign, plans to launch another large-scale initiative during 2025, with the same objectives. Simultaneously, the company is encouraging the French Senate to resume and strengthen the “anti-fast fashion” bill, approved by the Assembly at the beginning of this year.
A sector with the potential of changing the world
Founded in 2009 by Fanny Moizant and Sophie Hersan, Vestiaire Collective has become a reference point for fashion lovers hunting for branded pre-loved products. With more than 12 million sold articles, the platform claims to have efficiently avoided releasing into the atmosphere around 300.000 tons of CO2. “Second hand fashion – as said by Moizant – is not just a temporary trend. It is a growing sector with the potential of changing the world” (Hub Style).
Third Phase
This last educational campaign represents the third phase of the open war on fast fashion declared by Vestiaire Collective. The company, during November 2022, banned various fast fashion brands from its portal and, one year later, this punishment was extended to other brands, for example: Zara, H&M, Gap, Uniqlo, Mango. During November 2023, Vestiaire Collective launched and promoted the initiative Think First Buy Second, by publishing images of some of the world’s most famous monuments buried by clothing waste. “It is our duty to take action and pave the way to other operators in the sector in order to encourage them to collaborate and support us in this movement, with the aim of producing a bigger impact”, as explained by Dounia Wone, Chief Impact Officer of Vestiaire Collective (source L’Officiel).
ThredUp Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective, even if it seems to be the most determined and impactful, it doesn’t operate alone in this open war on fast fashion. During February 2023 ThredUp, another second hand platform, opened the Dump Fast Fashion shop (which was Valentine’s day themed), in order to educate the young Gen Z members,as they declare themselves sustainable, and then buy fast fashion. Previously, the company distributed coupons to its clients and asked them to boycott a Shein pop-up. It even launched a Stop fast Fashion hotline, which provided tips and tricks for sustainable shopping.
Other examples
In March 2023 it launched ReSet the Trend, a campaign supported by the European Commission that had two main objectives. First: engage young people in the fight against fast fashion. Second: raise public awareness about the strategy proposed by UE in order to achieve a sustainable and circular textile sector. In November 2023, SFS (Slow Fashion Season) publicize a campaign with the aim of inviting people to avoid fast fashion and adopt a conscious and sustainable consumption.
One of the required efforts is represented by refusing to purchase fast fashion products for at least a month. In September 2024 it launched Wear Wool, Not Waste, a campaign spread and supported by Woolmark that consisted in a short 60 seconds film in which the protagonists run away and escape from an invasion of zombies made from old synthetic clothes who infest our planet. During October 2024, Red Wing Shoes, historical American footwear brand, publish a short film-manifesto titled Will Your Wings. This shows how in the Heritage boots is present a sort of stitched “will”, useful for handing down these shoes as a family heirloom. Who’s next?
Read also:
- The Californian example of the Responsible Textile Recovery Act
- What else do people need to distrust Shein?
- Europe and beyond ways and means to obstruct Shein & Co.
- Plastic fashion: if you can’t beat it, tax it