As Luxury Turns Mass, Consumers Search for the Rare
Courtesy of HURS
As Luxury Turns Mass, Consumers Search for the Rare
With Gab Waller, Samantha McCandless, Hanushka Toni and Sofia Bernardin
By HURS Team
The luxury industry has never been more mainstream. The cycles of it-pieces are shorter than ever, mimicking the speed we’re used to seeing in the fast fashion industry. And if consumer’s can’t afford the real thing, it’s never been easier to find a fairly realistic copy. Additionally, our social feeds are filled with people wearing designer shoes and bags. It begs the question: what even is luxury now? The industry used to thrive off of exclusivity, but as social media has made information around products as well as purchasing them readily available, luxury brands have lost some of the mystery and allure they once held.
Looking for individuality, some consumers are flocking to pre-owned and vintage, with the $24 billion luxury secondhand market growing four times faster than the primary luxury market. Tastemakers and industry insiders are increasingly looking for items that are one-of-a-kind or hard to secure. But it’s not simply about consumption. The knowledge that surrounds the product and being able to flex their ‘in-the-know-ness’, is what makes it aspirational. From a specific vintage Hermès bag with a certain type of stitching to the lace lingerie runway top from Phoebe Philo’s Spring 2016 runway collection for Céline. These consumers aren’t seeking for what’s new but for what’s best. Over the years, it’s become easier for consumers to educate themselves about the brands and products they align with aesthetically. These true luxury seekers know what they want and are looking for more value than what shopping the established new luxury market can offer them.
Afraid of overexposure, some luxury brands have started limiting the quantities of what consumers can buy. Using supply and demand to control their image. But is there a way for brands to interact with this particular consumer in a way that brings value to the brand and buyer? And what does the future of the luxury industry look like?
GAB WALLER
Since launching her business in 2018, Australian Gab Waller has become the go-to sourcer for celebrity clients and tastemakers globally. Through her instagram account @gabwallerdotcom she finds fashion's most coveted items through her network of retailers and brand contacts. An expert on the private shopping and sourcing market, she’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, W Magazine and The New York Times. Waller now lives in Los Angeles with a client roster that includes Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Biber and Sabrina Elba.
SAMANTHA MCCANDLESS
Samantha McCandless is the Chief Merchandising Officer at The RealReal. In her role, McCandless oversees all of site and retail merchandising, strategic partnerships, pricing, planning, retail stores as well as creative operations for the company. Previously, she served as Vice President of Digital at Old Navy and Vice President of e-Commerce for the Gymboree Corporation. Samantha has deep knowledge in digital content and strategy, operational planning and efficiency, and scaling major national retail companies including GAP Inc., GUESS, and Williams-Sonoma.
SOFIA BERNARDIN
Sofia Bernardin is the co-founder and president of Re-See, an online platform specializing in authentic vintage and second-hand ready-to-wear, accessories and homeware pieces. Together with co-founder Sabrina Marshall, the duo founded Re-SEE in Paris in 2013 with the aim of creating a platform for keeping great fashion in circulation. Every piece on the website is curated by the team’s editors and fully authenticated by experts. Before Re-SEE, Bernardin worked at Condé Nast developing and managing the European business for the publisher’s portfolio in Asia.
HANUSHKA TONI
Hanushka Toni is the founder of UK-based luxury reseller Sellier. The platform's highly curated offering focuses on rare collections from brands such as Chanel and Hermès. Prior to launching Sellier, Hanushka worked as a solicitor at London-based law firm Macfarlanes. She then pivoted to marketing, working in the industry advising brands on branding and strategy which led to a Creative Director role at PR and digital marketing agency Relevance. Since its launch in 2020, Sellier has grown into the UK’s leading luxury reseller with physical stores in London’s Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Monaco alongside the company’s online platform.
We asked four industry insiders about how shopping behaviors have shifted, why consumers have a desire to flex their knowledge and what luxury means today.