FLIPPING GOOD FASHION

One Man’s Junk is Another Man’s Gold

A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. And proudly South African Maven is leading the way by offering consumers sustainable style and now also have men covered with Maven Man.

Building a conscious wardrobe doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune. Buying locally from online re-sale sites means you can still buy the brands you like without supporting their unethical practices. And if ever there was a time to change one’s approach to consumerism, it’s now. The COVID-19 economic crisis has forced consumers to not only reduce their consumption of non-essential items such as clothing, but also buy quality garments over cheap, disposable attire.

While the last two decades saw fast-fashion—a business model characterised by cheap and disposable clothing that emerged in the early 2000s, epitomised by brands such as H&M, Zara and locally the likes of Mr Price, grow exponentially over the next two decades, significantly altering the fashion landscape by producing more clothing, distributing it faster and encouraging consumers to buy in excess with low prices, today’s consumer is more aware of the ecological impact of apparel production and is frequently demanding apparel businesses expand their commitment to sustainability, and buying secondhand clothing provides consumers leverage to push back against the fast-fashion system.

Buying secondhand clothing increases the number of owners an item will have, extending its lifespan — something dramatically shortened in the age of fast fashion. High-quality clothing traded in the secondhand marketplace also retains its value over time, unlike cheaper fast-fashion products. Thus, buying a high-quality secondhand garment instead of a new one is theoretically an environmental win.

Though secondhand clothing has long been perceived as ‘tainted’, mainly sought by bargain or treasure hunters, this perception has changed, and today many consumers consider secondhand clothing to be of identical or even superior quality. The new trend “fashion flipping” (buying secondhand clothes and re-selling them) has emerged, particularly among environmentally conscious consumers.

Enter Maven and specifically Maven Man, the only local online retail platform that offers a curated selection of high-quality #ProudlyNotNew pre-loved clothes to eco-conscious South Africans and now Men too. It’s better for the planet and your wallet, and gives stylish consumers access to premium, often international brands, at very accessible prices.

And if you’re wondering what to do with all the stylish stuff in your wardrobe you no longer fit into post too many takeaways during lockdown—look no further than Maven’s unique business model. Setting itself apart from other second-hand retailers, Maven takes on the re-sale risk by paying upfront for the right pieces; offering approximately 30% of the resale value in cash or 50% of the re-sale value in credit. It may not be a fortune but it all adds up and you can rest assured your pieces will be loved again while doing your bit for the environment. Better yet, to ensure a fully ‘circular economy’,
Maven has partnered with The Clothing Bank, an organisation committed to uplifting women through business mentorship and will take any unwanted items in your wardrobe that don’t meet the Maven re-sale standards. To date, they have donated thousands of items to this incredibly impactful project on behalf of the seller.

For more information head to the Maven site to shop or sell, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook for updates.