Creativity and fun are part and parcel of the secondhand and ethical fashion treasure hunt, says stylist Aja Barber. And not only that: rethinking our relationship with clothes can be a ‘gateway’ to exploring environmental and social challenges, she says
Preloved fashion is booming amid a cost of living squeeze and a rise in eco thinking. Once niche, the secondhand market is now on course to take 10% of global sales, while eBay has just axed fees for sellers of preloved garms.
In our Second Nature series, we unzip this growing trend and meet the preloved pioneers who are helping to send it mainstream. A million miles from its moth-eaten, austere reputation of yesteryear, they see preloved as stylish, expressive and fun.
Aja Barber is a writer, stylist and consultant who has become one of the leading voices on sustainability and fashion. Her work explores privilege, wealth inequality, racism, feminism, colonialism and how fashion can be reimagined with all these things in mind. US-born and now based in London, she’s the author of Consumed: The Need for Collective Change
