Vestiaire Collective links with Alexander McQueen for sustainable luxe resale deal

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 16, 2021

Alexander McQueen and Vestiaire Collective have unveiled what they’re calling a “pioneering collaboration” aimed at “empowering a move towards circular practices”. The link-up comes at the same time as the launch of Vestiaire Collective's new 'Brand Approved' programme and “reinforces Alexander McQueen's growing commitment to the durability of luxury fashion”.

Starting Tuesday (February 16), It’s certainly a big development for the upscale fashion resale site and a significant one for McQueen, which is known more for its extravagant, ultra-luxe creations than for circularity.

The companies said that under the new programme, a “select group of clients” are contacted by a sales representative at Alexander McQueen. Any pieces the clients want to sell “will be assessed and, if eligible, assigned a buy-back price”. 

Unlike the usual Vestiaire Collective process that sees the French firm authenticating items, the pieces will be received and authenticated by McQueen, after which the client will be issued with a credit note that they’ll immediately be able to use to buy new items from specified stores operated by the label. 

Vestiaire Collective will also process the pieces and create an external NFC tag “giving prospective new buyers access to information confirming the authenticity of the piece”. The pieces are available to buy on a dedicated 'Brand Approved' page on the Vestiaire Collective app and site.

It’s an interesting development that could be a key differentiator for the resale specialist as it works to stand out in an increasingly crowded secondhand designer fashion market. And it’s clearly a model that could be replicated with other luxury labels.

Alexander McQueen CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger said the company “is committed to a move towards circular practice, both in the design studio and in the development of new business models. We are delighted to be the first house in the world to collaborate with Vestiaire Collective on its Brand Approved programme and to give beautifully crafted pieces a new story. We are confident that our customers will be equally excited to take part in an initiative that challenges a linear economy and sets a new and more sustainable standard for the future. We hope many houses will follow because to have impact-at-scale, we need to act collectively”.

And Vestiaire Collective co-founder and President Fanny Moizant added that there’s “an urgent need to address the way we currently produce and consume fashion. Vestiaire Collective's Brand Approved programme offers a sustainable solution, reinforcing the importance of durability, whilst empowering first-hand fashion players to disrupt their linear business models and embrace circularity. We are incredibly excited to launch the new service in collaboration with the prestigious house of Alexander McQueen, driving a shared mission to embed circularity at the heart of the fashion ecosystem”.