CLOTHES THE DEAL
Celebs are cleaning out their wardrobes to raise money for charity — but who gets the cash?
STEALING your favorite star’s style is easier than ever.
Back in the day, if Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor were photographed wearing a particularly stunning dress or sparkly pendant, fans had to wait decades for the chance to get their hands on it (and spend millions at a fancy auction, to boot).
Now, if you see Kim Kardashian in a laceup Givenchy bodysuit, for example, all you have to do is wait a year or two, pick up your phone and purchase it for a few benjamins on the Web site the RealReal — all from the comfort of your own home.
“We’ve always had celebrities clean out their closet and sell items [on the RealReal], usually anonymously,” says Natalie Seufferlein, a spokeswoman for the luxury consignment Web site, which has been around since 2011. But recently, she adds, more famous folk have gone public with their closet purges.
In the past year alone, Lena Dunham,
Khloé Kardashian and Kris, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have held public sales on the RealReal. In June, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins parted with some of his vintage Rick Owens and Marc Jacobs pieces on men’s resale site Grailed. And hip-hop producer DJ Khaled is currently offloading a bunch of track pants, sweatshirts and custom suits on the platform Poshmark. These celeb-owned items — even the most unremarkable jeans and hoodies — often sell out within hours. In some online auctions, prices far exceed those of retail.
“People want to be in touch with the celebrities they care about and love and admire,” says Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra, who a year ago launched Poshmark’s celebrity program, which helps stars raise money for their favorite charities while decluttering their wardrobes. “Our platform allows fans a connection with that celebrity . . . That doesn’t just go for individually iconic pieces . . . but with anything that represents their style or lifestyle.”
There’s a lot of stuff to sell, especially since fashion brands tend to shower the more popular, visible celebrities with free bags, sunglasses and ready-to-wear. And when you’re famous, being photographed donning the same item multiple times is considered a faux pas.
“Celebrities, they wear things once, maybe twice at most,” says Bryanboy, a fashion blogger and social-media star. “Having all these items — whether gifts or purchased — piling up and not being used is very wasteful.”
Some VIPs use the public sales to raise awareness for some of their favorite causes, says Seufferlein. Take Dunham, who netted some $20,000 for Planned Parenthood on the RealReal by selling her “Girls” costumes, old Met Gala gowns and Hillary Clinton T-shirts earlier this month. The RealReal inspects, authenticates, photographs, prices and ships all of the consigner’s items, taking 30 percent of the profits. The rest goes to the celebrity, who can use the dough however she sees fit. (According to Manhattan tax attorney Nate Strand, anything the seller keeps is considered income and needs to be reported when filing taxes.)
While Dunham donated her entire 70 percent cut, not all sellers appear to be so magnanimous.
DJ Khaled is donating a “portion of proceeds” to the education nonprofit Get Schooled, while the Kardashians/Jenners have used similar language to describe how much they’re donating to charities from their occasional eBay auctions.
This can raise some ethical, not to mention legal, red flags.
“It is important for these individuals to tell consumers what portion of the proceeds are, in fact, going to be donated to charity, if they are not donating all the proceeds,” says Julie Zerbo, a legal consultant and founder of the Web site the Fashion Law. “This is something that is required by law in most states.” (Representatives for DJ Khaled and the Kardashians/Jenners did not respond to requests for comment or clarification of the percentage of proceeds donated to charity.)
She adds that if celebrities are being paid to promote any of the brands they are selling online, then they should disclose that as well.
Furthermore, the idea of a rich celebrity turning around and selling a gifted item for profit can feel icky to fans — and those who work in fashion.
“I think a celebrity needs to be very cautious about what and when they choose to sell,” says a fashion p.r. rep, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. “It shouldn’t be anything personal, not something given for your birthday, or anything with your monogram.” For example, Teen Vogue pointed out that a Versace bag on Kylie Jenner’s recent RealReal sale had been gifted to her by the brand for her birthday just two weeks before.
Tracey Manner, a partner at the firm Think PR, agrees that while celebrities should think before they sell an item, she says that in most cases it’s acceptable — and can result in some fabulous deals: She bought a romper that belonged to Kris Jenner during a sale on Vestiaire Collective for $350, down from about $1,500. “I had wanted it since I saw it [on] the runway, and I couldn’t find it anywhere,” she says.
“I love it,” Bryanboy says of all the celebrity sales. “The way I look at it, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure. They shouldn’t be collecting these unwanted things just sitting there when other people can enjoy them.”