After the sponsorship debut last summer, there seems to have been some second-hand success. Between May and November 2022, eBay UK saw 1600 per cent more searches for “pre-loved clothes” than the year before, and Google searches for the same phrase were up 170 per cent. An ex-islander from the series also became eBay’s first pre-loved ambassador, Tasha Ghouri has used her influential social media status to promote second-hand fashion and regularly posts herself sporting pre-loved fits.

However, not everyone on the series followed suit. Series winner, Ekin-Su, signed a £1 million deal with Oh Polly, and finalist Gemma Owen earned a six-figure sum from partnering with Pretty Little Thing. While Indiyah Polack became the face of Pretty Little Thing’s new resale marketplace, which seems like a step in the right direction, it has been widely lauded as a greenwashing stunt.

While there is hope that this series will continue to prompt more widespread engagement with sustainable fashion, the issue remains that real change must come from the fast fashion brands themselves.

However, there is something that all businesses can take from the impact of the pre-loved partnership, and that is proof of changing consumer attitudes. Being able to demonstrate sustainable efforts is becoming increasingly important to maintain competitiveness in markets across sectors. Do you feel equipped?

At Ardea, we have developed a range of resources to help you implement your environmental and social policies. We also run a series of training programmes, with the goal of helping you to build and embed robust policies and procedures. If you are looking for something more bespoke or have any questions, get in touch with a member of the team today via hello@ardeainternational.com

We are here to help lead you beyond compliance and ensure that you stay on top of the changing landscape.