High end luxury brands like Chanel, Dior and Hermès used to be unaffordable for the vast majority of fashion lovers. This has all changed with the rise of luxury resale stores like third-party platform, Sellier Knightsbridge which pairs resellers and buyers.
Why has luxury resale taken off and how is it changing the face of luxury retail?
Luxury Resale
Over the past couple of years we have seen a shift as consumers become more concerned with the impact their purchasing habits have on the environment. As the fashion industry is a major polluter of the environment, the luxury resale industry provides many benefits to those conscious of their environmental footprint. Buying pre-owned items allows consumers to take more positive action against the negative impact of the fashion industry.
According to a 2020 report by thredUP, the benefits of buying pre-owned are significant. Resale is the most eco-friendly way to get rid of clothes that you no longer want. ThredUP say giving a dress a second life reduces its C02e impact by 79%. The report also states that if everyone bought one item pre-owned instead of new this year, it would save:
- 5.7B lbs of C02e, the equivalent of 66M trees planted
- 25B gallons of water which equals 1.25B showers
- 449M lbs of waste which is 18,700 rubbish lorries full
When it comes to luxury brands it is all about exclusivity. For me, not only is buying pre-owned something I like to do from a more environmentally friendly point of view, but as a designer fashion lover it makes owning higher priced brands more accessible. I have previously written a post on why I don’t see the point in paying full price for designer and I still stand by that.
Sellier Knightsbridge
Digital platforms like Sellier Knightsbridge drive the luxury resale market. Sellier is a luxury resale platform that promises you the finest in luxury ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes and accessories. If you are looking for a specific Chanel or Hermès bag they are the place to go. All of the items that they sell come with an authenticity guarantee and Sellier really know their stuff. Their team of authenticators and experts have over 30 years of experience working with luxury brands like Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.
My experience
I follow Sellier Knightsbridge on Instagram and I am always checking the new drops section of their website. They always give you a sneak peek of the items that are going to drop. This is even the case when it is vintage Chanel or rare Hermès. You really can tell that more and more people are looking to invest in designer pieces from just how quickly items sell.
A couple of weeks ago they have a beautiful black Dior saddle bag that I had my eye on. I had my reminder set and on the website early, poised to leap into action. The prices of the items aren’t announced until the item actually goes live. Personally I would prefer to know the cost before hand. As soon as the bag was uploaded I was checking out as quickly as I could but I missed out. So, it really is fastest finger first!
I spotted the Alberta Ferretti Monday jumper on Sellier’s Instastories and knew I had to have it. Checkout went smoothly and I was really impressed with how quickly I received the jumper – I’m sure it arrived the next day.
While I have bought from other pre-owned sites in the past I do feel like you have to be a bit careful as I have heard of people buying authenticated pieces to then find out that it is actually a fake. I trust Sellier Knightsbridge 100% when it comes to spotting fakes. So, if you are after pre-owned designer I really would recommend them.
