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Would you buy a pair of Christian Dior trainers previously worn by Lily Allen? How about a playsuit worn by Olivia Rodrigo or cropped jeans by Maisie Williams?
Being able to buy clothes directly from a celebrity has become a new shopping option, thanks to a slew of famous names joining websites that sell used clothes.
Celebrity stylist Harry Lambert, who counts Harry Styles and actress Emma Corrin as clients, launched his first personal store on favorite clothing website Depop last week. In the same week, US resale site ThredUp revealed its latest partnership with Protagonist Foreign things actor Prih Ferguson. Created to discourage Gen Z from buying fast fashion, it offers a “confession hotline” where users will hear advice directly from Ferguson on how to make smarter choices. They can also shop from a curated edit of used pieces chosen by the actor.
Elsewhere, yes Love Island finalist Tasha Ghouri has recently been named eBay’s first ever ambassador. This marks the first non-fast fashion brand partnership to emerge from the cult TV series.
Items from Lambert’s wardrobe included a yellow Prada bag (£1,000), a black hoodie (£140) from cult London streetwear brand Liam Hodges and a bespoke T-shirt (£90) made for Big Little Lies star Alexander Skarsgård for a magazine shoot. Within hours, most of the items were sold. “The first thing that sold was the Harry Styles cover Beauty letters. It is an authentic biennial limited edition magazine, so a very rare collector’s item. I’m not surprised it took off so quickly,” says Lambert.
Celebrity collaborations with brands aren’t new, but this latest crop marks a marked shift in the types of partnerships stars are willing to promote. A-listers are quickly starting to connect with the resale market.
“They can see the backlash against fast fashion, so they want to align with the tidal wave of where the next generation of consumers want to spend their time and money,” says Alex Goat, CEO of youth culture specialist Livity. “It’s circular, in a way. Celebrities have their own following, but they’re also gaining more influence by being on these resale platforms.”
For younger shoppers, the combination of celebrity plus resale is a winner. “It’s like borrowing a piece of memory from the Hard Rock Cafe,” explains Dr Carolyn Mair, a behavioral psychologist. “As a fan, getting a piece of clothing that a celebrity owns is the closest thing to touching their body.”
In 2019, when the Kardashian family launched Kardashian Kloset, an online space dedicated to selling their wearables, they immediately drew criticism for being greedy. Kim’s net worth alone is around $1.4 billion. Just two years later, it is no longer taboo. Goat says this is because it makes celebrities feel more relatable – they’re just like users of the sites who buy and sell items. “Before, it might have been seen as desperation, whereas nowadays it’s like ‘cool, just like me, they’re part of the circular fashion discussion.’
Not all celebrities choose to profit from selling their used goods. Lambert decided to donate all proceeds from his Depop sales to the LGBTQ+ charity Mermaids. Past collaborators, including singers Rodrigo and Charli XCX, have given all their profits to charity as well.
Goat adds that this appeals to Gen Z’s sense of authenticity.
Olivia Courtney, a 19-year-old marketing intern from Newcastle, follows Lambert on social media because of his relationship with Styles. As soon as his store took off, she bought a £15 bag emblazoned with the word ‘Pleasing’ from Styles’ official brand.
“It feels good to say I bought something from Harry Lambert. I asked him if he could write me a little message on it. Knowing that he works with Harry makes it feel more special somehow.”
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