Want designer pieces without designer prices?
Welcome to the world of authenticated designer resale.
High-end fashion is being revolutionised by resale.
Millions of consumers are discovering how sustainable, affordable, and smart it can be to buy pre-owned luxury.
But here’s the secret… resale is just the start.
What’s really happening is a cultural shift in how we view ownership. And luxury is at the forefront of the movement.
You’ll learn…
- Circular Fashion Vs Buying New
- The Luxury Resale Market Size Is Huge
- Authenticated Resale Vs Fake Marketplaces
- Gen Z & Millennials Are Shopping Circular
- How Circular Fashion Is Changing The Luxury Industry Forever
Circular Fashion Vs Buying New
Circular fashion: instead of buying new, wearing once, and throwing away.
Buy it, love it, pass it on to the next person.
That’s luxury circular fashion at its core.
Chanel bag sits in your closet for years. The value doesn’t degrade over time. Someone eventually buys that bag from you and loves it.
Circular fashion has been going on for decades. What’s changed? The ease at which we can buy pre owned bags at Gemaee in Dubai and sell our luxury items to trusted buyers worldwide.
There are countless benefits to shopping circular. But one rises above the rest…
The fashion industry is wreaking havoc on our environment.
At every level. From material production to manufacturing to shipping to onsite storage.
When we participate in circular fashion we create a system of ownership that benefits everyone. Including Mother Earth.
By prolonging the life of luxury items, resale:
- Minimizes waste
- Decreases unnecessary production
- Allows consumers to own high-quality pieces they love
The Luxury Resale Market Size Is Huge
The global authenticated luxury resale market was worth over $32 Billion USD in 2024 alone.
That number is expected to exceed $50 Billion USD by 2030.
Which is incredible growth for an industry that didn’t officially exist 10 years ago.
…and yet…
Hold on to your hats because there’s more.
Leather handbags account for OVER 40% of all luxury resale purchases.
Why? Simply put: they retain value like crazy.
Some bags actually appreciate.
Stated retail price tags are becoming unheard of on the pre-owned market. Rare and limited-edition designer bags sell for thousands above their Manufacturer’s suggested Retail Price.
Imagine buying a bag for $5,000.
Wearing it for several years.
Selling it years later for $10,000.
That’s a $5,000 piece of investment equipment.
Not fashion.
Authenticated Resale Vs Fake Marketplaces
Luxury resale is the wild wild west.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to get ripped off.
Here’s the truth…
Don’t buy luxury items from anyone you can’t verify.
Full stop.
That doesn’t mean you can’t find gems on eBay, Poshmark, etc. It simply means you have to be extra diligent.
Frabsites are so common that verifying authenticity is now a service sold by third parties.
Authenticated designer resale platforms have made authentication their ultra-profitable upsell.
How do the legit players do it?
- Real humans who’ve spent years training specifically on the brands they authenticate
- AI technology that scans for counterfeit telltale details
- Serial number verification & proof of brand documentation
- Full inspection of hardware/material under specialized lighting
This protects the consumer. And more importantly, the brands these consumers are buying.
Now buyers can feel safe knowing that the Hermes Birkin they just purchased isn’t coming off some Chinese counterfeiter’s production line.
Sellers also win because consignment platforms won’t accept your item unless it comes back authenticated. Period.
Your item now carries this platform’s seal of approval. Which you can use to command higher prices.
Gen Z & Millennials Are Shopping Circular
Who’s buying pre owned luxury?
If you said Millennials and Gen Z, give yourself a pat on the back.
These generations have seen what the fast-fashion industry is doing to our planet.
They’re not impressed.
They also don’t have the luxury (no pun intended) of spending thousands of dollars on clothes like past generations.
- Research shows 62% of Gen Z prefers buying luxury from sustainable brands
Gen Z & Millennials are changing the market by:
- Shopping second hand because they care about the environment
- They can’t afford new luxury so they buy pre owned at 50-75% off retail prices
- Thrifting gives them access to rare and limited-edition items
- “Investment dressing” is the new norm. These generation see luxury as an asset.
This isn’t some new-age trend. This is an entirely new way of thinking.
A recent eBay study found that nearly 80% of these generations consider themselves “recommerce” shoppers.
Major brands are taking note.
Big names like Gucci and Balenciaga have all launched certification programmes to take resale into their own hands.
Benefits Of Circular Fashion Nobody Is Talking About
When it comes to buying resale, most people talk about price and sustainability.
And while those are two big factors. They aren’t the only reasons to buy pre owned luxury.
Access To Rare Items
Discontinued styles. Limited releases. Vintage classics. These products aren’t available at your local retailer.
Ever.
Only the resale market allows you to shop these rare gems.
Higher Quality Assurance
Buy pre-owned from a reputable source and you know that item has been handled by professionals.
Any defects are noted. You know exactly what you’re getting.
Buy new and you might not even realize there was a manufacturing defect for months down the road.
You don’t take that huge of a depreciation hit when selling pre-owned.
You already lost that value when you sold it to someone else. Buy pre-owned and that item will hold its value longer.
How Circular Fashion Is Changing Luxury Brands Forever
Here’s the thing about the circular fashion movement…
It’s here to stay.
Get used to:
- More luxury brands launching authentication programs
- Emerging technologies like blockchain authentication
- Brands bridging the gap between new & pre-owned inventory
- Rentals & resale being offered right next to new products in online marketplaces
There will always be demand for new luxury.
But consumers are demanding more sustainable brands.
If companies want to sell to these consumers. They have no choice but to listen.
Resale is just one piece of a very complex puzzle. But it’s an important one.
Closing Thoughts
Circular fashion is changing the way we approach luxury forever.
Buying authenticated pre-owned allows consumers to:
- Access luxury brands they otherwise could not afford
- Minimize their carbon footprint by shopping sustainably
- Own luxury items that hold and even appreciate in value.
But how does the average consumer know if that Hugo Boss blouse is really authentic?
By buying from verified marketplaces that offer authentication.
Don’t forget:
- The authenticated luxury resale market will generate over $32 Billion by the end of 2024
- Designer handbags make up over 40% of all online luxury resale purchases
- Millennials & Gen Z-ers are driving the sustainable resale market
- Authentication technology is making buying pre owned safer than ever
- Buying circular benefits the buyer, seller, and environment