Known Source

Known Source specialises in making second-hand the first choice / Source: Known Source

EuropeTextiles

6 MINUTE READ

Deborah Williams

WHAT WE SAY:

The emergence of second-hand specialists is a promising sign that sustainability is beginning to take precedence among fashion curators, but no one is doing it like Known Source.

Following a 'Circular Curation' ethos, the resale company encourages consumers to buy better while keeping renewal in mind. Partnering with an arsenal of trusted 'dealers', Known Source offers a range of carefully curated second-hand pieces sourced by industry experts, allowing consumers to sell items bought at any of its storefronts back to Known Source when they no longer wear them. With the preowned market beginning to rival fast fashion — it's set to be twice the size of the latter by 2030, according to ThredUp — this new framework for consumption shouldn't be ignored.

KEY FACTS:

Known Source is a UK-based second-hand fashion platform, uniting a community of 'dealers' and curating the best in slow fashion.
Launched in November 2022, the company was founded in 2020 by experienced second-hand buyers and sellers Henry McNeill-Njoku and Theo El-Kattan, with a "vision to make second-hand fashion the first choice."
Curating for a circular fashion economy, the platform is based on two principles: 'Buy Better' – members purchase from hand-picked and established dealers – and 'Renew' – members resell any items purchased from Known Source's storefronts at any time in the future.
'Buy Better' makes up the curation element, with carefully selected experts providing unique style and stock that is available to purchase directly from its website. Dealers ship the items directly to buyers and are readily available to answer any queries.
With this framework, Known Source says it intends to build a "community where second-hand experts and vintage lovers can find each other easily".
Setting itself apart from other marketplaces, its 'Renew' principle aims to extend the life of each garment, with the "hope of encouraging responsible consumption".
To renew, members take photos of their sellable items and are provided with a suitable price. Members then send in the items and receive payment once the sale has been made.
Known Source guarantees the sale of every item and takes a 7.5% commission from its dealers' sales, which it claims is the lowest in the industry.
Known Source dealers include 1036 Emporium, Archive 89, Disarm Store, Imprint London, and Nordic Poetry. Brands sold via its platform include Adidas, Christian Dior, Issey Miyake, Patagonia, and Levi's.

1036 Emporium, a dealer on the platform, at a Known Source event / Source: Known Source

Known Source's First Edition 2022 Lookbook / Source: Known Source

DIVE DEEPER:

According to a GlobalData report published in September 2022, the global apparel resale market that year was worth USD 182.4 billion. The report analysed data from 48 countries across four regions, and projected a market growth of over 16% by 2026, thanks to a multitude of emerging platforms making second-hand garments available to consumers worldwide.
Across the world, clothing utilisation (the average number of times a garment is worn) has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago, according to A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Circular Fibres Initiative.
Low-income countries have a relatively high rate of clothing utilisation, but the same cannot be said for high-income countries. In the US, clothes are only worn for around a quarter of the global average, with a similar pattern emerging in China, where clothing utilisation has decreased by 70% over the last 15 years.
The report also states that globally, customers lose out on USD 460 billion of value each year by throwing away wearable clothes, with some garments estimated to be discarded after just seven to ten wears. Consumers are now acknowledging this problem, with 60% of German and Chinese citizens admitting to owning more clothes than they need.
Known Source explains that its 'Renew' principle "closes the loop" to make its model truly circular, and in turn, drives the circular economy forward.
Its aim to quell an oversaturated industry by "championing the unique" has not only shone a spotlight on its dealers (and their relationship), but on the story behind each carefully sourced piece.
The platform has four categories: upper, lower, outerwear, and accessories. It features 19 dealers who have been established in the industry for many years, and have undergone a "rigorous on-boarding process".
The collective depicts its mission as the 'Art of Second Hand', working to make the process of sourcing pre-loved fashion an enjoyable, accessible, and unique experience for members. The platform it has created "breaks down barriers to buying and selling slow fashion."
Upon its launch, Known Source released a First Edition 2022 Lookbook, and held a physical event to promote its mission, highlighting historic pieces and connecting all its dealers under one roof. The marketplace said it believes these physical events are imperative to elevating second-hand fashion to the forefront of culture.
Looking forward, Known Source is working to become a B Corp, gain more independent and external certifications, and meet other sustainability standards to help members shop consciously.

"We've loved getting to know every one of our Dealers over the last few years. What's been made clear is that oversaturation is killing the industry and how, as a result, we're all championing the unique."

Theo El-Kattan - Co-founder, Known Source

Key Design Considerations:

Make second-hand your first choice

Second-hand fashion is rising in popularity, with many companies within premium, luxury, and even fast fashion tapping into the market. For premium and luxury designers, consider partnering with specialists like Known Source to further the life of your clothing before creating more collections – the true success of second-hand relies on a slow fashion landscape. Remember to weigh up the costs involved, including commission, and explore what happens to your items if they don’t sell.

A circular economy starts and ends with renewability

To truly have a circular fashion economy, renewability must be at the forefront of design. To that end, design with longevity in mind so your items can be used time and time again. Having incorporated this principle into your products, connect with second-hand specialists to facilitate that renewal. Known Source and its dealers truly understand this, and along with other circular business models such as ReCircled and MUD Jeans, the enterprise is repairing the damage that the current linear system of take-make-use-waste has done. Find your place within a new system of make-use-recycle-renew to redesign the future of fashion.

Verified, trusted sellers are key to customer retention

There are many second-hand resale platforms — particularly in e-commerce — that claim they use trusted sellers, but consumer reviews would say otherwise. The added value of Known Source is that it vets each dealer to a very high and specific standard (you only have to look at the 10,000 five-star reviews) and builds honest relationships with them. So if you want to become a Known Source dealer, or you’re creating a similar platform, take note of the moves this change-maker has made.

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Known Source

WHAT WE SAY:

The emergence of second-hand specialists is a promising sign that sustainability is beginning to take precedence among fashion curators, but no one is doing it like Known Source.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Across the world, clothing utilisation (the average number of times a garment is worn) has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago, according to A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Circular Fibres Initiative.

Known Source explains that its 'Renew' principle "closes the loop" to make its model truly circular, and in turn, drives the circular economy forward.

Its aim to quell an oversaturated industry by "championing the unique" has not only shone a spotlight on its dealers (and their relationship), but on the story behind each carefully sourced piece.

The platform has four categories: upper, lower, outerwear, and accessories. It features 19 dealers who have been established in the industry for many years, and have undergone a "rigorous on-boarding process".

The collective depicts its mission as the 'Art of Second Hand', working to make the process of sourcing pre-loved fashion an enjoyable, accessible, and unique experience for members. The platform it has created "breaks down barriers to buying and selling slow fashion."