There is a
tantalising rail of designer goodies before my eyes: Vivienne Westwood, Malene
Birger, See by Chloe, Luella, D&G, Maxmara….the rail goes on. I am in the
Corn Exchange to meet Katie, the brain behind The Preloved Designer Sale.
Started 18
months ago in Brighton, The Preloved Designer Sale has mushroomed to locations
in Kingston, London and most recently, Leeds. Katie also has plans to move the
Designer Sale to Manchester in the not so distant future. But what is it? A
cross between a flash sale and a really cool dress agency; the Sale is open for
one week and one week only, in only one city at a time. You drop off your top end
high street and designer treats on the a week before the sale and Katie prices them
up. The sale opens on the Friday and continues on the Saturday and Sunday. You
come back the following week to collect your cash (minus 50% commission) and
pick up any unsold items.
The thing
that strikes me is the quality of the
garments which Katie takes to sell: pristine, hardly worn or tags still
attached, on-trend. She patiently explains why she can’t take certain items to
clients and carefully hangs and tags the garments she does take to sell. With
such a friendly and approachable personality it is no wonder that Katie has
built up a loyal client base including such leading Brighton lights as Zoe Ball
and Susie Cave.
Definitely
worth checking out, Katie offers a real alternative to people a bit wary of
eBay: she can more often than not get a better price for a designer item and
even though she takes 50% commission you don’t have to worry about listing your
DVF dress and watching it sell for a pitiful £4.99. Find out more here: http://www.preloveddesignersale.co.uk/
