Cinderella’s Economy Takes Flight in England

LONDON The circular economy is spinning faster in the UK where large luxury retailers are making more room for retail, luxury rental and repair, and charity shop merchandise in addition to newly shipped designer collections.

Mixing old, new, borrowed (and sometimes blue) no longer belongs to the bride, but belongs to whoever walks through the door or around the website. Selfridge, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Liberty this fall.

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According to a Mintels, Fashion and Sustainability, UK 2021 report, more people have rented fashion items this year than last year, with the pandemic helping accelerate demand for a more circular fashion economy. Initiatives such as rental services, resale and recycling of fashion goods, appeal to environmentally conscious shoppers.

On September 6th, Selfridge, which has been at the forefront of circular sales, brings back Oxfam . pop-up shop, curated by British editor and stylist Bay Garnett, for encores and for longer periods.

Garnett fills the space with bits and pieces Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent and Ossie Clark in addition to vintage 70s pieces, denim, tweed and sheepskin. Garnett also tucked a selection of bags, hats and blankets from Oxfams warehouse and charity stores into the mix.

Image Courtesy of Selfridges

This year’s pop-up will be open for three months on the third floor of Selfridges Oxford Street. The space is larger and made in glossy white with neon green rugs, glass cases and ultra-luxury shades. Garnett has also leveraged a series of other creatives to curate the clothes rail for the three months running.

Oxfam, founded in Oxford and now headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is an umbrella group for charities working to eradicate global poverty. It is also one of the UK’s largest retailers through a chain of charity shops selling clothing, books and LPs, among other items.

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To mark the opening, James Lacey of Pointless Illustrations has designed a collection of one-off t-shirts. Another T-shirt features an image of Sienna Miller wearing an outfit from the pop-up. All T-shirts have been made with existing Oxfam stock.

This shop is part of Oxfams’ annual second-hand September campaign, and fits perfectly with Selfridges growing enthusiasm for rental and resale services, part of it Earth Project sustainability commitment.

Last month, at the Corner Shop, Selfridges opened Resellfridges: The Wedding, five-week pop-up stock up on your favorite designer dresses and accessories, recycled men’s suits and vintage wedding rings. It also offers wedding rental services.

Sebastian Manes, Selfridges executive director of purchasing and merchandising, said, This year more than ever, our customers are being considered more in the way they live and shop and weddings are no exception. We continue to explore circular models through Project Earth.

Image Courtesy of Harvey Nichols

In Knightsbridge, Harvey Nichols this week paved the way for Reflaunt, technology platform who work directly with fashion retailers. Reflaunt says it has 50 million buyers in a network of 25 international markets.

Harvey Nichols said the partnership allows customers to resell luxury items in their wardrobe including fashion, accessories and watches and get back up to 80 percent of the original price in the form of bank transfers, or Harvey Nichols vouchers.

Customers drop off at one of the dedicated collection points at Harvey Nichols stores in the UK and online, while London-based customers can choose to have their items picked up by Reflaunt Concierge. Reflaunt authenticates, rates, and uploads product images to its thrift market network.

From September, Harvey Nichols said customers outside the UK will be able to take advantage of the service, with free shipping. At the end of the year, Reflaunt says it plans to launch globally in major international cities in Europe and Asia.

Harrods, meanwhile, has partnered with my wardrobeHQ, a rental and resale site that considers Carrie Johnson, the first lady of England, a customer. She even rented her wedding dress from the site earlier this year.

Harrods offers a number of evening and formal items in-store and online with people who can rent looks ranging from feathered dresses to Huishan Zhang to Twists colorful, sculptural minidress.

MyWardrobeHQ and Harrods say they want customers to experiment, knowing that, like Cinderella, they need to return items after a certain amount of time, particularly after four, seven, 10 or 14 days.

The pop-up, which will be open until early October, is located on the fourth floor of Harrods and is an edit to Harrods on the MyWardrobeHQ website. Customers also have the option to purchase pieces.

Image Courtesy of MWHQ

For almost a year, Harrods has also worked with History, which repairs luxury leather accessories and clothing. The store also offers in-house cobbler, tailor and tailor services in an effort to help customers extend the life of their wardrobes and to think in terms of buying a long-term investment.

In a related move, Harrods removed his plastic bags on September 1, and used paper instead. The new bags are 100 percent recyclable, sustainably sourced and made from 40 percent recycled materials. They also carry the FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council sign.

Harrods said it also aims to reduce consumption of carrying bags to 50 percent from pre-pandemic levels. It has set targets for staff, and will remove all carrier bags from Harrods Food Hall, and several other departments, later this year and will require customers to purchase reusable jute bags.

Michael Ward, managing director of Harrods, said, How proud we are to see customers leave our stores with the iconic green Harrods bags, going forward we want to see as few bags as possible. He notes that more than 4 million Harrods branded bags leave the shop floor every year.

Joel Knight

The store has also removed all plastic packaging from customer shipments and has pledged to remove 100 percent single-use virgin plastic packaging from the entire business.

Freedom, has also jumped on the circular circuit. It previously hosted an in-store MyWardrobeHQ and also offers a dedicated designer vintage department on the second, ground, and downstairs floors. Items on offer include Chanel bags, Louis Vuitton suitcases and vintage wedding dresses.

The store says it will also stock your must-have items, as well as provide replacement services for handbags, jewelry, hats and specialist garment cleaning.

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