Disclaimer: No affiliate links, just amazing pieces!
You’re probably here after seeing me getting giddy on IG stories, dying to share my new fashion secret with you!
A £200 coat as good as new, with tags for £35? Faux fur bottoms that are bang on trend for £10? Well, if you think they’re amazing deals, look at what’s in my basket below! Where? ZARA!
I am SO excited to share this with you and I truly hope you get as much enjoyment out of shopping within this new platform as I did just flicking through the pieces! Over to my lovely assistant Charlotte…
BY CHARLOTTE HOPE-SHANNON
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Zara Launches Pre-Owned Platform: Resell, Repair & Donate
One of the most recognisable fast fashion giants, Zara, has launched a new pre-owned initiative as part of its circularity commitment.
Zara joins several big-name brands such as ASOS, Dr Martens and Harvey Nichols, who have embraced the pre-loved market. The new venture (which is already up and running), will allow customers to resell, repair and donate items which are vetted through a secure platform. Donated garments on the other hand will go to the Red Cross, an extension of their 2016 in-store donation bin initiative.
Take a look here – resell.zara.com
(just select buy or sell on the bottom)
A Pre-Owned Commitment
While there is much to say about high-street fast fashion, with ethics at the heart, it’s important to recognise the small steps taken by huge retailers. Even if their track record is less than desirable.
Zara’s new initiative is great for people who may be new to the sustainable journey or for those looking to reduce their spending. Zara is moving towards a “circularity that encompasses all phases of our activity – from product design to logistics and stores.” This also means that those who may not be able to afford a new wardrobe can go wild and explore pre-loved, well-looked-after items. Those who wish to change their attitudes towards fast fashion, can donate, repair, and resell their current wardrobe. It’s inclusive, it’s innovative, and it’s refreshing to see.
Resell & Buy
Got Zara pieces that you no longer want? You bet; someone would LOVE to give them a new lease on life. So go ahead! You can now you can resell your Zara garments for others to enjoy! In addition, you can now buy pre-loved items!
Making a pre-owned purchase or sale is empowering and this, I feel, is what Zara’s circularity initiative is all about.
Note: buyers’ details are passed on to the seller only when a sale has been confirmed.
Repair
As part of their commitment to circularity, Zara would ultimately like to help their customers extend the useful life of their Zara products. We all know “the most sustainable garments are the ones you already own.”
As part of their commitment to customer experience and their environmental impact, Zara wants to help you to extend the lifecycle of your Zara garments with their brand-new repair service.
With a network of workshops that will work to find the best solution for your damaged clothing, you’ll be able to make your favourite garments last longer. So, you don’t have to say goodbye to your favourite Zara coat from three years ago just yet! Yay!
Can we trust High Street brands to be sustainable?
Circular Fashion means altering the traditional linear trajectory of textiles, with a focus on longevity and accountability. While there is much to say about high-street fast fashion, with ethics at the heart, it’s important to recognise the small steps taken by huge retailers, even if their track record is less than desirable.
There are no two ways about it. Fast fashion (and even brands that we perceive to be otherwise), are destroying our planet through an abundance of greenwashing buzzwords and low-quality designs. As the High Street slowly moves into a new sustainable world, the question remains, can we trust big fashion retailers to make consumption sustainable when the concepts and limitations are so complex?
Mindful Consumers
Not shy of criticism, the textiles industry has hit a carrefour of sustainable and moral significance; one which has been progressively publicised post-covid. Consumers want to purchase the latest items but are more mindful of how our planet responds to waste and pollution.
“While our landscape has developed a new appreciation of ecological necessity, fashion is ultimately still behind in the effort.”
The wonder of fast fashion manufacturing has caught the attention of conservationists and sustainable designers alike. There is now a large presence of circular fashion terminology accelerating the need for accountability. With brands such as H&M revealing aims to be 100% circular by 2030, (truthfully good luck), consumer demand for responsibility on the high-street is making waves.
Ultimately, the High street is not doing everything they can and must own up to this problem in order for change to make a real difference. One can, however, appreciate that the intricacies remain difficult for all, and whilst it’s not plain sailing, doing little, more often, is better than doing nothing.
“Doing little, more often, is better than doing nothing.”
How will the sustainability agenda move and develop over the next few years? If anything, the ethical implications of the fast fashion world will need to be addressed more directly.
However, in a time when we look to fashion for relief, its positive to see that Zara is using their platform for a moment of forward-thinking change.
