Alexander McQueen partners with Vestiaire Collective

British fashion brand Alexander McQueen is partnering with Vestiaire Collective in support of “empowering a move towards circular practices”.

The collaboration will see McQueen becoming the reseller’s first brand to join its new ‘Brand Approved’ programme, which allows the fashion house to have some control over what is bought and sold.

The move is part of McQueen’s “growing commitment to the durability of luxury fashion,” explained the fashion house, and its sales team will contact select clients to see if they have any pieces by the brand they wish to sell.

All pieces clients wish to sell will be assessed and if eligible assigned a buy-back price, explained McQueen, with each one authenticated by the fashion house before being added to Vestiaire Collective. The client will then be issued a credit note to purchase new items from specified Alexander McQueen stores.

The assessed pieces will then be processed by Vestiaire Collective and given an external NFC tag so that the new buyers can access information confirming its authenticity. The pieces will be available to purchase on a dedicated ‘Brand Approved’ page on the Vestiaire Collective app and site.

Alexander McQueen to highlight circular fashion as Vestiaire Collective’s first ‘Brand Approved’ partner

The concept, both companies explained, facilitates a move towards sustainability in the fashion industry, by giving new life to McQueen’s unique beautiful garments, as well as highlighting the importance of offering a more considered buying philosophy.

Emmanuel Gintzburger, chief executive of Alexander McQueen, said in a statement: “Alexander McQueen is committed to a move towards circular practice, both in the design studio and in the development of new business models.

“We are delighted to be the first house in the world to collaborate with Vestiaire Collective on its Brand Approved programme and to give beautifully crafted pieces a new story. We are confident that our customers will be equally excited to take part in an initiative that challenges a linear economy and sets a new and more sustainable standard for the future. We hope many houses will follow because to have impact-at-scale, we need to act collectively.”

Vestiaire Collective co-founder and president, Fanny Moizant, added: “There is an urgent need to address the way we currently produce and consume fashion. Vestiaire Collective’s ‘Brand Approved’ programme offers a sustainable solution, reinforcing the importance of durability, whilst empowering first-hand fashion players to disrupt their linear business models and embrace circularity.

"We are incredibly excited to launch the new service in collaboration with the prestigious house of Alexander McQueen, driving a shared mission to embed circularity at the heart of the fashion ecosystem.”

Current brand approved Alexander McQueen items available on Vestiaire Collective includes jewellery, leather bags, boots, jackets, and dresses.

Image: courtesy of Vestiaire Collective/Alexander McQueen by Chris Moore/Catwalking.com