Deceleration – this is a term that has been used more and more frequently by fashion companies in recent years. Fueled by questions of sustainability, but also mental health, they want to take things a little easier in the future: produce less, rely more on reduction and longevity.
But the reality still looks different. The fashion cycle continues to be determined by a speed that hardly anyone can keep up with; it is still produced, marketed and sold in the same rhythm. At the same time, the paradigm of the ever-new has lost relevance; there are no longer any comprehensive trends or phenomena such as the it bag that everyone simply wants. Anything is allowed in fashion these days – and when everything is trendy, then nothing is actually trendy anymore.
The diagnosis? “Fashion fatigue” that has become a phenomenon. Fashion and its system are perceived by more and more people as just exhausting. The constant flow of new things on the runway, in stores and on social media no longer inspires – it only exhausts. And if its a part in two to three months anyway fashion appeal and thus loses its appeal – why invest at all?
Yet there is an antidote for this disease, this sickly skepticism about everything new: second-hand and vintage fashion. The popularity of relevant platforms such as Vestiaire Collective or Vinted shows how great the desire of consumers is for special second-hand items. For goods that are not available in bulk in the nearest store. Used fashion makes it possible to dress individually and fashionably without constantly chasing after the latest products and collections. And apart from the big top dogs like Vestiaire and Vinted, there have long been clever apps and offers that are completely dedicated to the sale of beautiful, old clothing. And: The strict curating of your own offer.
Sourcewhere: Let others search for their favorite parts
The Sourcewhere app from London, for example, also functions as a digital marketplace for old, but above all for out-of-print, fashion items. Users can use the app to request a specific part that is no longer available for purchase, so to speak, to issue a search. This request is then forwarded to a broad, international network of so-called sourcing experts, whose job it is to locate the item in shops, dealers or private sellers.
If the search is successful, users receive a message and can make the purchase directly via the app. “Our clientele is primarily made up of collectors looking for very specific branded products,” explains Erica Wright, who launched Sourcewhere in 2022. “They have previously researched this product but can’t find it themselves and then they contact us.” Wright himself previously worked for major e-commerce platforms such as Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa.
Although you can also request pieces from the current season at Sourcewhere, the app is particularly exciting for those who are on the hunt for very specific pieces from past designer collections. As examples, Wright cites “Old Céline” designs – those that date back to the formative era when Phoebe Philo was the creative director of the label. Vintage Hermès also performed particularly well on her app, and the most sought-after brands also included The Row, Miu Miu, Jil Sander and Khaite.
Today, more than ever, the old is being combined with the new, according to Wright. A development that she wants to accompany with her app. And: “Customers are paying more and more attention to quality and are realizing that vintage parts, apart from their longevity, do not lose value over the years.”
Cop Me If You Can: Buy Archive tracks directly from Instagram
Leon Teke agrees. “With no other consumer good do you have the opportunity to sell it for the same price even years later if you take good care of it,” says the Berliner. Teke is an example of another business model that is becoming more and more prevalent: selling a carefully curated vintage range directly via Instagram.
Cop Me If You Can, CMIYC for short, is the name of his account, which he founded while he was an Erasmus student in Bologna, northern Italy. “Cop” means something like “snatch” or “get hold of” – a reference to the strategy often followed, especially in the sneaker and streetwear segment, of bringing collection items onto the market in individual drops, artificially reducing them and thus increasing demand increase.
On his Instagram account, Teke posts images of second-hand luxury fashion items that can be easily purchased via direct message. His digital shopping catalog contains well-preserved vintage treasures from brands such as Prada, Miu Miu, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, mostly from the formative 90s and 2000s.
Among them, for example, a minimalist, knee-length skirt made of gray mottled wool with an offset zipper; it comes from the Fall/Winter 1999 collection by Prada and costs 390 euros at Teke. CMIYC also has tight black leather pants with lacing details on the side for 550 euros; it comes from Christian Dior – in fact from the year 2002, when the exalted John Galliano was still the brand’s creative director. Anyone who shops at CMIYC not only buys second-hand, but also a small piece of fashion history.
This is also important for Teke himself. This is evident from the fact that all products on his account are provided with detailed information about their origin and the season in which they were introduced. This is what is called “archive fashion” – the premier class of vintage fashion. In concrete terms, these are catwalk looks from a brand that exemplify a formative period or the work of a celebrated designer.
“The more I can find out about a part, the more exciting it is for me,” says Teke. “Researching how a piece of clothing was presented on the catwalk, on which model it was worn or how it was styled in a campaign or an editorial can keep me busy for hours.” in old magazines for references.
Loved by Chi: Find rare bags, shoes and lingerie
A passion for iconic fashion pieces that Chiara Kessler also shares. The studied communication designer launched an account on Instagram in 2018 – a year later, Loved by Chi became her own online shop based in Ludwigshafen. Initially, Kessler mainly offered vintage jeans and clothing, but now she has specialized in shoes and handbags from major fashion brands as well as lingerie, such as romantic négliés and lace bustiers.
As with Teke, the passion for used fashion was also sparked at Kessler in Italy. For her unique fashion finds, she rummages around at flea markets in Lecce or Ostuni in the Apulia region. Her stock includes, for example, two-tone slingback sandals from Chanel for 465 euros, black leather saddle boots from Dior for 650 euros or denim kitten-heel mules from Miu Miu for 185 euros.
“In the beginning, I just shopped for vintage items for myself and friends,” says Kessler. “Over time, however, so much accumulated that my wardrobe was bursting at the seams.” That’s how she came up with the idea of creating space first, i.e. selling parts before she buys new old fashion. In order to remain independent of resell platforms such as Ebay or Vinted, Kessler decided to sell directly via Instagram. “I was able to set up my own shop rules,” says Kessler.
She doesn’t put new products online every day, but monthly according to the drop principle. The profile announces in advance – and with a countdown function for the suspense effect – when a new batch of vintage treasures will become available. Interested parties can study the offer in advance in order to be quick at the right moment. That’s a good idea, too, because all pieces are only available once – and they usually sell out within minutes.
“My customers want to stand out and get hold of special pieces that are not so easy to obtain,” says Kessler, who now also includes well-known influencers such as Matilda Djerf, Cindy Kimberly and Negin Mirsalehi. Women who are each followed by millions of people on social media. This also shows that there is a great desire for unique vintage pieces – even among successful influencers, who could simply accept new goods from luxury brands as gifts.
But today nothing seems less authentic than wearing the same new collection pieces as many other influencers do. Unique outfits are also better received by fans – the same looks that dominate the Insta-Feed do not trigger any desire to buy, but only “fashion fatigue”. Instead, people want more individuality again – that’s often quoted I don’t know what.