eBay is bringing pre-loved fashion to the catwalk this fashion month via IRL shows in New York and London, which will be streamed live on the resale platform. Entitled Endless Runway, the on-schedule events are designed to showcase the wide range of second-hand designer gems that are available on eBay.
“We’re partnering with the British Fashion Council and the CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America] to understand how we can really bring circular fashion to the forefront of customers’ minds,” Kirsty Keoghan, eBay’s global general manager of fashion, tells Vogue, adding that the Endless Runway concept refers both to the on-going life cycle of these items, as well as the site’s extensive inventory.
All the runway looks will be available to buy via eBay Live right away, alongside additional drops featuring a wider selection of pre-loved pieces, which will be released each day during New York and London Fashion Week. “This is about making [pre-loved fashion] really accessible–some of these are past runway pieces,” Keoghan says, noting that prices will start from £125 in the UK and $165 in the US.
TikTok star Wisdom Kaye is curating eBay’s Endless Runway show in New York.
Courtesy of eBay
For the New York show on September 5, eBay has enlisted TikTok star and stylist Wisdom Kaye to curate the runway looks and special drops, while Vogue contributor Liana Satenstein will be hosting the eBay Live. “We wanted to mainly highlight designers that are showing at New York Fashion Week, but also American fashion in general,” Kaye explains, with the likes of Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Brandon Maxwell, Christian Siriano and Khaite all featuring in the edits.
Meanwhile, for the London show on September 13, curated by stylist Amy Bannerman and hosted by model Leomie Anderson, eBay wanted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week. “It was important to showcase not just the legends of British fashion, but also the trailblazers from different decades, including those making an impact today,” Bannerman says, noting that the edit includes everything from vintage Vivenne Westwood and Alexander McQueen to Wales Bonner and Craig Green. “I made sure that these contemporary pieces sat comfortably alongside the work of British fashion royalty, creating an exciting blend of past and present,” she adds.
Given that Gen-Z shoppers are increasingly looking for pre-loved fashion (according to eBay, 40 per cent of this demographic buy second-hand because they can’t find styles they like in current collections), the resale platform hopes that the designers showing at New York and London Fashion Week take note, too. “Hopefully this gives brands the confidence and impetus to actually bring back some of those archive pieces,” Keoghan says. “It’s about brands embracing circularity as well.”
eBay’s Endless Runway at London Fashion Week will be livestreamed exclusively on eBay Live, accessible via the eBay app, on September 12 at 6pm.