Love Island Dumps Fast Fashion For ‘Pre-Loved Fashion Partner’ eBay

It looks like fast fashion has been ‘dumped’ from Love Island this year! Each year Love Island has partnered with a fashion fashion brand, but this year is different. The show has announced eBay as the first ever ‘pre-loved fashion partner’.

Love Island x eBay

Last year I wrote a post that talked about Love Island being a sustainable fashion nightmare so I’m thrilled to see that they are adopting a pre-loved approach this year. Rather than a constant stream of fast fashion garments, Islanders will instead be wearing pre-loved clothing. This recognises a growing awareness of the impact that fast fashion has on the environment.

According to eBay a fifth of British people buy more pre-owned clothing compared to two years ago, with 16% of their wardrobe containing such items. The highest percentage of second-hand clothing is owned by 18-34 year old, at 22%.

The study, conducted by eBay, also found that money-saving (54%) and protecting our planet (37%) are the biggest reasons why shoppers are turning to second-hand. 25% are looking for designer items, while 18% are keen to find more unique pieces.

This year the Islanders will also have help from Amy Bannerman who is a celebrity stylist. She has previously styled Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Sophie Turner, Jonathan Van Ness.

I think it will be interesting to see how different the looks are and whether we will see pieces being re-worn. I think a lot of people still have the mentality that you can only be seen in an outfit once before it is ‘old’. It would be great to see the Islanders creating multiple looks from the same item, much like a capsule wardrobe.

I also wonder what impact this will have on viewers. After each show there is always a spike in searches from the items of clothing that have just been seen. I now that last year after Millie was seen in an outfit, searches for ‘marble dress’ online increased by 127%. Maybe viewers will be inspired to explore pre-owned clothing apps and charity shops.