Incredible Pre-Owned Alexander McQueen Pieces Are Dropping On Vestiaire

The designer resale site Vestiaire Collective has teamed up with Alexander McQueen on the first of its “Brand Approved” initiatives. The inaugural collaboration, which goes live on the Vestiaire website on 16 February, reflects an ongoing commitment to circularity in luxury fashion on the part of both McQueen and Vestiaire, as well as their efforts to promote pre-loved clothing and accessories.

The Brand Approved pieces are sourced from select Alexander McQueen clients, who are invited by representatives from the brand to sell their pieces through the scheme. Once any items deemed eligible have been received and authenticated by Alexander McQueen, they are assigned a buy-back price. Should a client wish to go ahead, Vestiaire will list the item on the dedicated section of the site and the client will get a credit note for the amount to spend at selected Alexander McQueen stores. The pre-owned items will also be given a tag proving their authenticity, so prospective buyers can shop with confidence.

A sleeveless tuxedo jacket from McQueen’s spring/summer 2011 collection is part of the first drop unveiled on 16 February, alongside a tartan midi-skirt that model Irina Lazareanu wore to walk in the late Lee Alexander McQueen’s iconic Widows of Culloden autumn/winter 2006 showcase.

“The way we produce and consume fashion is no longer sustainable,” Vestiaire Collective’s co-founder and president Fanny Moizant tells British Vogue. “We are pleased to be able to launch the new Brand Approved programme as a solution to the challenges the fashion industry faces, allowing first-hand players to embrace circularity and disrupt their linear model.”

Appetite for pre-loved pieces has never been higher: the end of last year and the beginning of 2021 has seen a spike in searches for vintage fashion as a whole, with investment bags and accessories among the most popular. Lockdown has given consumers time to reassess their shopping habits, resulting in far higher interest in clothes with sustainable credentials.

“Alexander McQueen is committed to a move towards circular practice, both in the design studio and in the development of new business models,” says Alexander McQueen’s CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger. “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.”