Treasure Trove
For a long time now, sustainability has been on the tip of the fashion industry’s tongue. It all too often gets a bad rap for its environmentally unfriendly practices, thanks to “fast fashion” businesses that are accused of anything from polluting water sources and using toxic chemicals to increasing levels of textile waste. But there are, across the world, a growing collection of brands that have been making long strides to a more sustainable future. One such rapidly expanding firm is the Vestiaire Collective, which opened operations in Hong Kong this year to service the Asiapacific market.
Founded in Paris in 2009, Vestiaire Collective is a leading online marketplace to buy and sell pre-owned designer clothing and accessories. It boasts six co-founders— each of them bringing a range of skills and
Vestiaire Collective, a leading online marketplace to buy and sell pre-owned designer clothing and accessories, is making great strides in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. Two of our city’s fashion experts tell us their thoughts on the fast-growing platform
experience from the tech, logistics, business development and style industries to the online luxury fashion platform. Vestiaire has quickly risen to prominence as one of the world’s leading online marketplaces that now boasts more than seven million members across the globe.
Customers shop from a curated and authenticated mix of 30,000 product listings every week, including everything from rare handbags, furnishings and vintage watches to this season’s latest collections, which have been just a little pre-loved. Vestiaire is a sustainability champion and it’s been lauded by fashion experts around the planet for its forwardthinking. Two such supporters are Hong Kong fashion experts Peter Cheung and Feiping Chang, who have learned firsthand about the platform’s buying and selling process.
PETER CHEUNG
Cheung is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent figures in luxury and fashion. He’s enjoyed more than two decades of experience working at houses like Christian Dior, Versace and Van Cleef & Arpels, and he launched his own strategic consultancy, Peter Cheung Asia, in 2015. He’s a recognisable figure and is always dressed the part. “It’s almost like an occupational hazard,” he admits. “I have shopped regularly over the years and, as a result, my collection has become quite comprehensive.”
Cheung says that he hadn’t worn some of his clothes for “many years” as he put them into storage. But then he started to hear people talking about Vestiaire Collective and, after a recommendation from a friend, he started selling the items he no longer wanted through the platform’s VIP service,
which streamlines the pick-up, uploading and selling process for users. “The VIP service made the selling process so easy,” he says. “I was blown away by how quick the products were being sold, due to Vestiaire Collective’s global reach. The VIP team was also extremely helpful with advising on the pricing.”
Cheung is now a supporter of Vestiaire, however there are a few items he’s not going to get rid of in a hurry. “There are some Yohji Yamamoto pieces I will never let go of,” he says, “and I’m having a Dries Van Noten renaissance. I’m just so blown away by his sensitivity and clarity in creativity.”
FEIPING CHANG
For Hong Kong fashion influencer Feiping Chang, it’s not always about rocking the latest look right off the runway but, rather, spending time and effort on building an extensive collection of fashion. “I have to say I’m a bit of a hoarder, especially with shoes,” she reveals.
The influencer and blogger counts Chanel jackets, classic Hermès bags and statement heels as items she buys frequently and rarely parts with. “My favourite part of any online shopping is building my wish list,” says Chang, “and I have a long one on Vestiaire Collective.” She says the list is filled with items like vintage Chanel and even collectable pieces such as surfboards, skis and Louis Vuitton trunks. “And I like to keep an eye out for limited edition items that I might have missed out on,” she adds.
The fashion aficionado first familiarised herself with the platform three years ago when she visited the company’s headquarters in Paris during Fashion Week. “I was so impressed with the website’s meticulous authentication process,” notes Chang. “I had previously never considered buying from an online luxury reseller due to concerns about authenticity—but with Vestiaire Collective, I felt like I could trust their process.”
Chang is clearly a big supporter of Vestiaire and its sustainable mission. She has many words of praise for the online marketplace. “I was looking for this grey Chanel jacket I had missed out on a few seasons ago,” she shares, “and I found it on the Ready to Ship section. It arrived within a week and it was in pristine condition.”
CLOSET CONFIDENTIAL Feiping Chang strikes a pose with her pup, Pumpkin, in her closet. Opposite page: Peter Cheung photographed in his office