Vintage pre-loved looks cropped up on runways across New York Fashion Week this year, including those of Altuzarra, Eckhaus Latta, LUAR and Kallmeyer, not to mention at Ebay’s second Endless Runway show, which exclusively featured secondhand apparel and accessories.
The NYFW effort was part of a broader fashion month collaboration between Ebay, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Fédération de la Mode Circulaire (FMC), aimed at making a “bold statement about the power of pre-loved and the relevance of circularity on fashion’s biggest stage,” according to statement from ringleader Ebay.
Each of the aforementioned designers incorporated pre-loved pieces into their SS26 collections, such as a reimagined FW22 sequin coat from Altuzarra and an Ebay-sourced handbag and layered tops at the Eckhaus Latta show.
Those presentations, and others from LUAR and Kallmeyer, followed Ebay’s own Endless Runway fashion show, which took place Sept. 10 and showcased items sourced entirely from Ebay, including designs from Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Thom Browne, Theophilio, Kid Super and many others. The show was curated by Ebay’s new Resident Stylist Brie Welch and was shoppable via a tandem Ebay Live streaming event.
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Ebay Takes to the Runway to Tout its Fashion Prowess
Ebay’s Endless Runway campaign wasn’t exclusive to New York; more than a dozen top designers. participating across fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan, made it “a defining moment for circular fashion,” according to an Ebay spokesperson.
The Fashion Month activations serve two purposes for Ebay: to highlight sustainable circular fashion and to promote Ebay as a leading platform for customers to find it. Nearly 40% of all clothing, shoes and accessories sold on Ebay last year were pre-loved, and users searched for “vintage” more than 1,200 times a minute, according to the company. However, amid mounting competition, Ebay is on a mission to make itself consumers’ go-to for secondhand fashion.
The company’s latest sally in this effort saw the appointment of celebrity stylist Brie Welch as its new Resident Stylist and the debut of a new regular trend report called the Ebay Watchlist in May.
“With so much assortment, today’s shoppers are looking for more than just options; they want help navigating them,” said Alexis Hoopes, VP and Global Head of Fashion at Ebay in an interview with Retail TouchPoints earlier this year. “By introducing a Resident Stylist and the Ebay Watchlist, we’re turning our vast selection into curated discovery, driven by data around shopper habits — making it easier for buyers to explore, get inspired and express their personal style. It’s how we evolve our marketplace into a true fashion destination.”
