How vintage e-commerce sites like Vestiaire Collective are disrupting the luxury market

Jun 2 , 2017

Fanny Moizant, co-founder of Vestiaire Collective, a luxury vintage ecommerce platform

Vestiaire Collective co-founder Fanny Moizant explains how vintage adds to luxury, rather than diminishing it, and why the company is expanding to Asia

The size-eight Gucci heels you just bought off Vestiaire Collective may be the only thing more unattainable than an Hermes Birkin bag.

The six-million-strong e-commerce platform sells vintage luxury items that are available in one size and for a limited time only, offering a rarity that parallels the exclusivity of this season’s new luxury offerings.

Vintage luxury goods have gained significant popularity in the digital age, and the definition of value has evolved, causing disruption in the luxury goods market.

We caught up with Fanny Moizant to discuss Vestiaire Collective’s launch in Asia – and learned why she’s making Hong Kong her new home.

How has the online luxury environment evolved since you first found Vestiaire Collective?

The big players are in Hong Kong and growing massively. Net-a-Porter and MatchesFashion are going global and innovating. There are also newcomers to the game – I’m sure you saw the LVMH announcement recently about 24Sevres.com.

For me, it’s good news: it means the consumer is moving towards digital luxury, and it’s now easier to buy a luxury product online. We are also moving ahead in the creation of a luxury experience online.

There are also challenges to selling luxury online, particularly with the second-hand market and the need for a trusted website. We have even more challenges within the niche second-hand market than the big players.

How do you ensure luxury goods retain value without a brick-and-mortar store?

It’s all about the experience that you create on the website, so we pay a lot of attention to its look and feel. We also do a lot of events, and really try to put a person behind the brand.