How to build a luxury wardrobe with used clothes
second hand bargains
A Spanish page allows you to buy branded items at a low price
Laia Cenea
Dressing in designer clothes at an affordable price is possible thanks, mainly, to the rise of global resale platforms such as the American The Real Real, the French Vestiare Collective -one of the most important and fastest growing-, or more recently , the Spanish based in Barcelona, NetAWear. Examples include the canvas bags with a logo that Maria Grazia Chiuri has reissued for Dior for this fall, or the classic Saddles, which have become fashionable again on the streets this season. Look for them on any of the platforms mentioned above: you will find them for much less than what one costs at Zara.
The fact that brands such as Gucci have imposed the vintage trend as new or firms such as Vetements have turned used clothing into luxury garments, have only contributed to this phenomenon taking on dimensions never seen before, even in countries traditionally so reluctant to the second. hand like Spain (and that despite the success of formulas like Chicfy).
In Europe, especially in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, buying (and selling) second-hand branded clothing is as normal a practice as it is in the United States, one of its most important markets both online and offline, through websites and local businesses. mainly in cities like New York or Los Angeles.
In Spain, consumption habits are somewhat different, and in addition to being "badly accustomed" to national fast fashion prices, here there is less tradition of luxury fashion, so access to high-end items is less and the sensitivity is therefore different. Something that is being corrected thanks, above all, to this new model that allows those buyers who otherwise would not have considered it because they could not afford it, to access the world of Hermés, Chanel or Céline for the first time.
Ana Recasens, founding partner of the luxury clothing and accessories trading platform NetAWear, saw the opportunity right away. “It all starts two years ago when she lived in New York. My passion led me to get involved in the world of fashion despite coming from a more business profile. In my free time, I loved to periodically go through thrift and vintage stores looking for “treasures”.
Ana remembers that “these stores gave you the option of bringing your clothes and accessories and leaving them in storage to put them up for sale in exchange for a commission (quite a high one, by the way). There I met pages like The RealReal and Rebagg that inspired me and I began to be curious about this business model” she tells us via email. “Before returning to Spain I decided to sell some pieces. I created several PowerPoints and sent them to groups of friends there to be forwarded until they found interest. It was amazing how successful and accepted it was, and that's how my little trial with NetAWear unconsciously started.“
In my spare time, I loved to periodically go through thrift and vintage stores looking for “treasures.”
Ana RecasensThis portal was launched at the end of July and already has the approval of influencers such as Blanca Miró, who has accumulated more than 20,000 visits in less than a month - and with the summer holidays in between -. In its, at the moment, reduced catalog, we can find from relatively new pieces and from the most sought-after contemporary brands - Isabel Marant dresses at 100 euros when they normally exceed 600 or The Row sweaters at 150 euros, when in reality they exceed 1000 - to authentic vintage jewelry.
The delivery service they offer is as fast and convenient as any other fashion brand. “At NetAWear you can put your items up for sale in less than 2 minutes -the commission they take varies depending on the amount and ranges between 17% and 33% of the price of the item put up for sale- and receive the purchases in less than 48 hours“ says Recasens proudly.
Quite an achievement for a company that has just been born, and a differentiating factor compared to Vestiaire Collective, whose procedure, which includes a meticulous product authentication process, usually takes more than a week. “Soon, in addition, we will launch a VIP service in Barcelona, where we manage everything for those people who have many garments to sell. Just by asking for an appointment through the web or by whatsapp, NetAWear goes to the home to take charge of the management of the client's wardrobe”.
