Alexander Mcqueen Online

Alexander McQueen Outlet Launches a Buy-Back Program With Vestia

Alexander McQueen Online lovers and collectors would argue that pieces by the late designer and his successor, Sarah Burton, never go out of style. Vestiaire Collective seems to agree. Today, the two companies are launching a new partnership where McQueen will help facilitate and authenticate previous season items for sale on Vestiaire. 

The program, called “Brand Approved,” works by McQueen boutiques contacting their best clients and offering a store credit in return for garments, accessories, and shoes from previous collections. Once the garments are received in hand at McQueen stores, they will be inspected and authenticated, and then placed for sale on the Vestiaire site and app with denotation that the pieces are McQueen-approved. 

A spring 2011 Alexander McQueen vest Outlet by Sarah Burton will be available on Vestiaire as a part of the two brands’ new partnership.

Monica Feudi / GoRunway.com

“Alexander McQueen is committed to a move towards circular practice, both in the design studio and in the development of new business models,” writes McQueen’s CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger in a release. “We are delighted to be the first house in the world to collaborate with Vestiaire Collective on its Brand Approved program and to give beautifully crafted pieces a new story.” This model of buying back (for a store credit) and reselling pieces fits well within McQueen’s existing sustainability model; not only does the brand work to support local artisans and mills throughout the United Kingdom, it also reuses fabrics frequently and donates leftover materials to student programs and young designers in the U.K. 

The highlights of the first McQueen drop on Vestiaire include two legendary items by McQueen and Burton. “I am most excited to see the red and black wool tartan skirt from the fall 2006 collection and the sleeveless tailored tuxedo jacket from spring 2011,” says Fanny Moizant, the cofounder of Vestiaire. The offering also includes a camel basque blazer and ruffled tulle bolero, alongside handbags, shoes, and jewelry.

McQueen isn’t the first brand to work to create a more circular life for its garments. Stella McCartney, Gucci, Burberry, and Doên have all partnered with TheRealReal, offering shoppers site credit if they place their past season items on the e-commerce app. Interestingly, no major brands have attempted a circular model in-house, instead relying on extant consignment and vintage retailers to help jumpstart the process. 

 

For McQueen, the hope is that “many houses will follow, because to have impact-at-scale we need to act collectively,” Gintzburger says. Vestiaire feels the same. “There is an urgent need to address the way we currently produce and consume fashion,” Moizant says, noting that their model is “a sustainable solution…to disrupt linear business models and embrace circularity.” It seems only a matter of time before other luxury players follow suit.