Cache Flow #27: Fashion News Roundup
May 31-June 6: This Week in Fashion x Tech x Resale News
In this weekly series, we feature a roundup of the latest news in fashion x tech x resale.
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Sotheby’s will auction Jane Birkin’s original 1984 prototype Hermès Birkin bag: This black leather prototype, featuring unique details like a fixed shoulder strap, brass hardware, and Birkin’s initials, was used by Birkin daily and was previously donated to an AIDS charity and shown at MoMA and the V&A. Now privately owned and hailed as a “true unicorn” in fashion history, the bag will be displayed in Manhattan and Paris ahead of the sale. While Sotheby’s hasn’t released a price estimate, experts expect it could challenge auction records in the luxury accessory market.
AI and resale tech are revolutionizing secondhand fashion by enhancing discovery, pricing, and user experience: Platforms are leveraging AI-driven personalization, predictive pricing, virtual try-ons, and authenticity tools to streamline listings and boost consumer confidence. This tech-fueled approach is accelerating the growth of the resale economy, making sustainable, pre‑owned fashion more accessible and engaging.
Despite rising tariffs, fashion retailers have largely avoided passing costs onto consumers: Retailers are absorbing the impact through supplier negotiations, internal cost-cutting, and inventory adjustments. Major players like Walmart, Macy’s, and VF have formed tariff task forces and diversified sourcing to mitigate pressure. Some are subtly raising prices on untariffed goods or delaying hikes altogether to maintain customer loyalty. These strategies have helped stabilize prices for now, but future increases remain likely if trade tensions persist.
Depop is launching a month-long "Summer of Secondhand" takeover in New York City: The takeover will spotlight sustainable fashion through citywide events and campaigns. The initiative kicks off on June 7 with a Pride-themed First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, featuring curated vintage collections from popular sellers, along with live performances and photo opportunities. Additional events include a family-friendly morning in Williamsburg with a kidswear swap, a block party on June 14 with local sellers, DJs, and food trucks, and a collaboration with Cosmopolitan launching on June 17, culminating in a SoHo event on June 21 hosted by Editor-in-Chief Willa Bennett.
The textile-to-textile recycling sector is regaining momentum after setbacks like Renewcell’s bankruptcy: Companies such as Circulose, Reju, Syre, Unifi, and Re&Up are scaling up industrial recycling facilities, supported by EU extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and circularity standards. However, challenges persist, including a fragmented feedstock system, competition from recycled PET, cost gaps versus virgin fibers, and limited brand uptake. To overcome these hurdles, players are forming strategic partnerships, integrating recycling across supply chains (e.g., Coleo’s waste-to-fabric operations), deploying advanced sorting and enzymatic polyester recycling technologies (like in Amsterdam and China), and pushing for stronger legislation and brand investment to build infrastructure and demand.
Vivrelle, the NYC-based luxury accessories membership club, has raised $62 million in a Series C round led by Protagonist to fuel its next phase of growth: The startup plans to expand its showroom footprint into new U.S. markets, enhance its curated collection of designer handbags, jewelry, and diamonds, and develop member‑experience technologies—potentially including AI tools—while broadening partnerships like its multi-city pop‑up with Four Seasons and a Bridgehampton pop‑up this summer. Members enjoy flexible borrowing with no return date and the option to purchase items at exclusive discounted rates, reinforcing Vivrelle’s shift from ownership to access in luxury lifestyle.
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With love and hot girl energy,
Cache 💚