The Western world‘s growing taste for fast, disposable fashion, fueled by the supply and availability of cheap products, means that ever greater amounts of clothing are being consumed and discarded at the same time.
However, already phrases such as: respect for the environment, circular economy, saving money by giving second chances, helping to reduce labor exploitation and creating your own style, have been strongly consolidated among consumers in the world and in Colombia.
According to the UN, the textile industry is the second most polluting in the world. For this reason, and thanks to the momentum created by increasingly popular online platforms, the second-hand market is establishing itself as a credible ecological alternative to buying new clothes.
The textile circular economy grows 25 times more than retail and consumers prefer brands that are increasingly sustainable.
Used clothing represented 3% of a woman’s closet and it is estimated that by 2029 it will be more than 25%, in the case of the United States.
This shows that consumers demand and seek today, a reuse of fabrics, which can be reused, redone or recycled, also looking for garments with more sustainable raw materials for their consumption.
Globally, the sale of second-hand clothing represents between 3% and 5% and could even reach 40% of the market.
In this sense, resale products occupy approximately a quarter of the closets of used clothing buyers and it is expected to reach 27% in 2023.
Así lo deja ver un estudio de Boston Consulting Group y Vestiaire Collective denominado ‘What an Accelerating Secondhand Market Means for Fashion Brands and Retailers’.
This circular fashion economy leaves an estimated value ranging between $100 billion and $120 billion, a figure that triples that of 2020.
Closeando is the first online clothing store in Colombia, which offers its customers the opportunity to reach a wide variety of brands at surprising prices.
“We have more than 20,000 brands, including Zara, Mario Hernández, Vélez, Studio F, Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors, BCBG, Stradivarius, Esprit, among others, with garments or articles that were used once or a few times and are they were left in the back of the closet,” said Elisa Ferrer, partner and creator of Closeando.
Who buys?
The consumers who are most willing to buy second-hand clothes are women, between 18 and 65 years old, with a preference for fashion. 41% of women between the ages of 18 and 25 are a group willing to buy these garments.
To date, Closeando has rescued more than 300,000 garments from highly recognized brands, which instead of going to the trash, are giving Colombian women the opportunity to have the closet they always dreamed of, with clothes like new, contributing to the at the same time to care for the environment and your pocket.
Colombia fashion 2023
Closeando will have a stand located in the Mercado de Moda Circular pavilion with Coca-Cola System as an ally, where it will be with the clothing collection container, and where it will also sell second-hand garments. Said container will also be available on the three catwalks of the Éxito group at the fair.
The brand on its website will offer the show garments on a special landing page for the brand ModaÉxito and ColombiaModa.
Additionally, the company’s executives will have the opportunity to participate in the conversation “Building an ethical and sustainable future in fashion: responsible brands and consumers”, together with María Juliana Marín Villarreal – Fashiomista’s advisor and consultant, with whom they will talk about the use of second-hand clothing. The conversation will take place on Wednesday, July 26, at 5:00 pm.