When Second-Hand is First Choice

The co-founder of one of the top players in luxury resale on the new meanings of value in fashion.

- LYNETTE KOH

She might be the co-founder of one of the biggest designer fashion resale platforms in the world, but Sophie Hersan isn’t much of a shopper herself. These days, the French entrepreneur rarely buys more than five fashion items per year — and when she does, it’s typically pre-owned items from her platfrom Vestiaire Collective.

In an interview with The Peak, Hersan, who is also the company’s fashion director, shares that it has taken her 14 years to get to this point. Prior to starting Vestiaire Collective in 2009, the industry veteran spent several years working as a studio manager with various luxury brands, during which she "accumulated a lot of items". She says with a smile: “I had too many things I didn’t wear. That was probably one of the reasons I started Vestiaire.”

Today, founders Hersan and Fanny Moizant together with CEO Max Bittner have transformed Vestiaire Collective into a major player in luxury fashion resale, an industry estimated to be worth 43 billion euros ($63.3 billion) in 2022.

The C2C platform has an inventory of more than five million items and a staff strength of more than 800 in its offices in Europe, the US, and Asia. In 2021, the company hit unicorn status with major investors such as luxury conglomerate Kering coming on board.