Repairing and reselling have become an area of business that can no longer be ignored by fashion brands worldwide. Due to popular demand from the rise in conscious consumers, we are seeing a surge in services offered by labels that can lengthen the life cycle of the products they create.
But should this be the responsibility of the brand themselves, or would consumers prefer for fashion houses to invest in the early stages of “design and manufacturing” and make room to partner with independent brands who can support the repairing and reselling of items post-purchase?
As an individual, I’m invested in the rise of the secondhand space, creating the platform; Secondhand Styling; intrigued by the world of fashion innovation and fuelled by the creative trends that arise within the industry, working as a Creative Director at an agency.
And now I find myself on maternity leave. Leaving an ounce of space to consider questions that I’ve wanted to explore in several articles. Starting with repairing and reselling. And the question; whose responsibility it is?
Growing Into New Territories Without A Sustainable Foundation?
Zara is an example of a brand moving into the business of pre-owned clothing as the Spanish brand starts offering services for repair, resale, and donations in the UK. Starting next month, shoppers can repair their previous Zara garments from any season, including replacing buttons, zips and seams either online or in a Zara store. With the new initiative, British customers can also resell and buy worn Zara clothing using a new secure platform and donate clothing of any brand to charity. But should this investment go into how the products are made instead of a “fixing” solution that did not already exist for the brand?
Prolonging the life of a garment through repairs and alterations reduces the need for buying new while also increasing its value on the secondhand market. But if the product is not designed to last, crafted from poor quality fabric and centered upon trends rather than seasonless looks, then the value of the piece is already restricted. Could the opportunity be in evaluating the way in which brands are already making the items, reducing the number of repairs, and educating the consumer on how to care for the piece through content?
Sounds like a convincing and simple answer, but I’m very much aware this is a complex conversation.
I recently interviewed the founder of Save Your Wardrobe, Hasna Kourda, who surprised me by saying that fast fashion was a lot easier to fix than most people would imagine. The issue is people’s mindset; if it only costs £15 to buy, why would someone pay the same amount to repair a zip. This is where transparency and “design” values and processes must be addressed. You can listen to the full episode HERE.
Considering the customer’s journey is also a space that may be currently overlooked. Online shopping has a huge environmental cost attached to it due to the amount of returns that are made, the majority because of issues with fit. In the UK, approximately 55 percent of women’s closets remain unworn.
Which leads me to wonder, are there holes in the current way that we buy online that need to be fixed by brands, opening up room for partnerships with independent solutions that can offer expert support when repairing and reselling the item? Should brands be investing in more sizing technology? Mody is an excellent example of this, as I discovered when interviewing Founder PierLuca for an upcoming podcast. He shared with us how his innovation can help to support the number of samples that are produced, leading to less waste. Maybe this is where brands should be looking to invest.
When it comes to who is responsible for repairing our clothes, I believe that everyone has a part to play in the life cycle of our items. But I also think if brands want to own the repairing and reselling section, then they need to fully own the early stages of early manufacturing, creating a solid foundation for their designs to start as though they mean to go on.
