EMBRACING LUXURY THROUGH RESALE AND REPAIR
- liz7238
- May 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
At Purpose Collective, we believe true luxury is rooted in longevity. Our focus is on pieces made to last, meant to be repaired, and loved again and again. As the fashion industry shifts toward a more circular model, many brands, from contemporary innovators to heritage luxury houses, are embracing resale and repair programs. These initiatives extend the life of garments and accessories while significantly reducing waste.
Understanding Fashion Waste
Yet today, over 92 million tonnes of clothing end up in landfills each year. Fast fashion has created a world where we wear pieces just 7 to 10 times before discarding them. This behavior contributes to massive environmental issues. For example, landscapes like the Atacama Desert are choked with discarded clothes. Over 60,000 tonnes of unsold and unwanted clothing are dumped there annually, creating a scene visible from space.
PHOTOS: CHANEL
Luxury Leaders Setting the Standard
Chanel & moi offers tailor-made services to provide lasting attention to each Chanel creation throughout its life. Their Les Ateliers are select locations that provide in-house restoration services. From handbags to fine jewelry, artisans painstakingly restore your cherished pieces while honoring the craftsmanship and story behind every stitch.
Bottega Veneta's Certificate of Craft program offers unlimited refresh and repair, starting with selected iconic bags. This initiative promotes long-term use and emphasizes the brand's exceptional craftsmanship. Their dedication to artisanal quality sets a high standard in the luxury fashion industry.
Gucci has made strides with Gucci Vault, a curated resale platform, and Continuum, which reimagines archive pieces in collaboration with contemporary designers. They also support repairs for shoes, bags, and RTW, helping to preserve quality and reduce environmental impact.
Through its Prada Re-Craft program, Prada showcases its commitment to timeless luxury and circular craftsmanship. The house offers repairs and restorations for leather goods, performed by expert artisans. This approach reinforces the idea that true luxury lies not in constant consumption but in the enduring beauty of what we care for.
Stella McCartney has long been an advocate for eco-innovation. The brand currently offers repairs on all ready-to-wear items and focuses on new initiatives promoting resale and material traceability.
Elevated Contemporary Brands Doing It Right
Eileen Fisher takes the lead in circular fashion with its Renew program. This initiative takes back gently used garments, repairs, or reworks them, and resells them either online or in dedicated stores. Each piece tells a story of conscious reinvention, contributing to a more sustainable future.
GANNI collaborates with Sojo, a London-based tailoring service, to provide easy repair access for customers. In the U.S., they’ve launched a pilot take-back and resale program. This initiative is a bold move for a trend-forward label, showcasing their commitment to sustainability.
Coach's one-year warranty covers quality-related repairs, including stitching or hardware replacement. Items are assessed by repair specialists to ensure they are fixed without compromising their integrity. After the warranty, repairs are available for a set fee. Customers can use these services by visiting stores or mailing in their items.
Cool, Circular, and Conscious
Patagonia’s Worn Wear program is legendary. Customers can trade in worn gear for credit or purchase expertly repaired secondhand items. They also provide free online repair guides, encouraging a DIY repair culture.
Co-founded by surfer Kelly Slater, Outerknown’s Project Vermont revitalizes damaged clothes through patchwork repairs and upcycled materials. As a result, these pieces are one-of-a-kind and purposeful.
Nudie offers free lifetime repairs at their service centers around the world. They also resell Re-use denim, ensuring that wearable jeans remain in circulation and out of landfills.
Digital Pioneers in Fashion Circularity
As resale becomes integral to brand identity, luxury houses like Burberry, Balenciaga, and Stella McCartney have partnered with The RealReal to authenticate and list their items. This collaboration offers buyers confidence and rewards sellers for practicing circular behavior.
Brands such as Chloé, Mulberry, and Alexander McQueen have joined Vestiaire Collective’s Brand Approved program. This ensures that resale is encouraged and celebrated throughout the lifecycle of each garment.
Why It Matters
The shift toward resale and repair is more than a trend—it’s a transformation in fashion's relationship with time, value, and the planet. These programs promote conscious ownership, encouraging us to see our wardrobes as evolving stories—pieces that can be mended, shared, and reimagined.
At Purpose Collective, we invite you to join the movement: repair what you love, resell what you no longer need, and rewear what makes you feel most yourself. Because the future of fashion is not solely about what’s next—it’s about what we choose to keep.
Know a brand innovating in circular fashion? Tag us @PurposeCollective and share your #RepairAndRewear story.
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