Fashion People | The Resale Renaissance
Date: September 26, 2025
Host: Lauren Sherman
Guests: Kristin Naiman (The RealReal), Marissa Meltzer (author, It Girl), Erica Virink (vintage expert, writer), Sarah Shapiro (Puck retail correspondent)
Overview
This episode of Fashion People dives deep into "The Resale Renaissance," exploring how secondhand shopping has transformed the fashion industry—economically, culturally, and emotionally. Host Lauren Sherman, recording live from Milan, is joined by a panel of insiders: Kristin Naiman (The RealReal), Marissa Meltzer (author, journalist), Erica Virink (vintage substacker), and Sarah Shapiro (Puck retail correspondent). Together, they examine how resale is shaping consumer behavior, luxury brand strategy, generational tastes, and even the meaning of fashion value.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Ties to Resale (Introductions)
[08:09–11:50]
- Kristin Naiman: Lifelong lover of vintage and consignment. Describes resale as her "first love in fashion" and credits it with teaching her about style and value.
- Marissa Meltzer: Reported early on The RealReal and Poshmark; “I shop a lot and have a bad relationship with money... The RealReal is part of my lifestyle and entertainment.” (09:02)
- Erica Virink: Writes a secondhand-focused Substack. "My formal education is in secondhand resale—the Goodwills in Iowa kind."
- Sarah Shapiro: Has witnessed resale move from being a whispered secret to a mainstream pillar of shopping culture, particularly in luxury. Admits to being a selective hoarder who loves shopping but finds it hard to part with things.
2. Resale’s Impact on the Customer Journey
[11:50–15:09]
- Luxury acquisition has evolved: The idea of buying high-end pieces with the intent to resell has become mainstream, particularly for luxury goods.
- “47% of people consider the price of the resale item in luxury [purchases] before making a purchase.” – Sarah Shapiro [13:15]
- Secondary effects: Platforms now offer widgets estimating future resale value at the point of purchase.
- Hermès as a case study: The opacity and exclusivity of new luxury has pushed more people to source directly via resale, bypassing the traditional gatekeeper sales experience.
3. Shifting Attitudes Across Generations
[17:22–18:49]
- Thrifting and vintage purchasing have flipped from niche/outsider status to sources of pride and even asset-collecting.
- “It’s a source of pride to be able to say, ‘I found this on the RealReal, I got it for 10% of retail cost.’ ... They treat it like collecting assets. If you’re not buying real estate, you might as well buy a Chanel bag.” – Erica Virink [18:18]
4. Resale at Scale — The RealReal’s Evolution
[19:07–21:12]
- The RealReal now processes roughly 1 million SKUs a month—orders of magnitude beyond most retail companies.
- Resale is described as “one of our most ancient behaviors... best ideas are never new, just reinvented.” – Kristin Naiman [19:45]
- The emotional draw of items with “some life in it” meets a modern desire for sustainability and uniqueness.
5. How Resale Benefits Luxury Brands
[21:13–29:36]
- Resale introduces luxury brands to consumers who might never have entered the boutique; it also "keeps the heat" on brands during and after creative transitions.
- “Keeping those products safe in circulation and the desire high for them fuels the desire for the main direct primary market relationship.” – Kristin Naiman [24:54]
- The resale market can drive up prices for certain sought-after brands and eras—see spikes in Phoebe Philo-era Celine and Dries Van Noten post-retirement.
- “It’s a system that rewards knowledge.” – Marissa Meltzer [31:22]; “I love the idea of arbitrage of bags.” [29:36]
6. Brand Relationships With Resale Platforms
[33:26–39:35]
- Most luxury brands are ambivalent or litigious toward resale (ex: Chanel lawsuits), but some experiment with archive sections or curated secondhand (Dries Van Noten LA, Banana Republic vintage).
- Discoverability and "the hunt" are core to resale's appeal—curated archives risk losing that magic.
- Operational scale is a barrier: “For a brand to take something like [The RealReal’s scale] in-house would be incredibly difficult.” – Sarah Shapiro [36:32]
7. Geopolitics, Pricing, and the Resale Boom
[41:35–47:58]
- Tariffs have added complexity, favoring US-based resale platforms by limiting international peer-to-peer shipments.
- “The tariff situation is going to slow down the general fashion system. And that isn’t good for anybody.” – Kristin Naiman [43:56]
- Panel agrees broader market forces—rising primary prices, changing behaviors, cultural shifts—matter more than tariffs alone.
- Vintage is often seen as higher quality than new. “A cashmere sweater from Barney’s private label from 20 years ago is going to be better than something you can get today.” – Kristin Naiman [47:07]
8. Secondhand and Sustainability in Culture
[48:56–54:13]
- Secondhand retrains consumer desire—less about buying more, more about waiting for the right thing and appreciating previous eras’ quality.
- Owning iconic or “missed” pieces from the past can be deeply personal and magical.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“It’s like our most ancient behavior... the best ideas are never new, they’re reinventions.”
– Kristin Naiman [19:45] -
“Resale has really bypassed all that [Hermès exclusivity]. You can just go to the RealReal or Fashionphile and buy the bag of your dreams.”
– Marissa Meltzer [15:09] -
“I was looking at a Vogue from ‘88... the dresses were $6,000 then! People just didn’t buy a dress every week.”
– Lauren Sherman [47:58] -
“It’s a system that rewards knowledge, which is amazing.”
– Marissa Meltzer [31:22] -
“I have a pair of Chloe sandals... and I wore them through and bought them again. It really challenges the sense of seasonality.”
– Kristin Naiman [54:13] -
On the thrill of the hunt:
“I love the buy-low, sell-high thing but also just being able to be like, ‘I was there when...’”
– Marissa Meltzer [31:54] -
“Secondhand retrains people to look for certain things and be excited for something specific.”
– Lauren Sherman [48:58]
Important Segments (Timestamps)
- [08:09] – Panel introductions and personal ties to resale
- [13:15] – How buying habits and the “customer journey” have changed with resale
- [15:09] – Hermès/Birkin as resale’s luxury test case
- [18:18] – Younger generations’ pride in vintage, asset-collecting mentality
- [19:45–21:12] – Scale and emotional significance of The RealReal
- [24:54] – How resale helps luxury brands by fueling desire for the original
- [29:36–31:22] – Arbitrage, knowledge, and value creation for savvy resale shoppers
- [33:26–39:35] – Brand ambivalence, archive experiments, operational challenges
- [41:35–47:58] – Tariffs, geopolitics, vintage vs. new quality, broader market shifts
- [48:56–54:13] – Secondhand as a new kind of luxury, personal stories of coveted finds
What the Panelists Are Wearing (Fun Fashion Details)
- Marissa Meltzer: Head-to-toe secondhand (“Except the Bally shoes”), 1930s curtain-turned-dress, 1920s shirt from Desert Vintage (shoutout to godson Reed), and 1950s Kelly bag [49:20]
- Kristin Naiman: Tank top by Indress (via The RealReal), Rachel Comey shoes, new Dries van Noten scarf [51:09]
- Erica Virink: Accessories all vintage, realreal Cartier tank, pregnant and in Shava Studio [52:08]
- Sarah Shapiro: Toteme jacket and handbag (both resale), inherited jewelry [52:34]
- Lauren Sherman: Phoebe-era Chloé jacket, Phoebe Filo trousers, Saint Laurent Tom Ford dress from a RealReal curation [53:18]
Final Thoughts
- The panel agrees: resale has fundamentally changed both how and why people shop for fashion, blending sustainability, savvy-ness, and emotional connection.
- Brands are slowly recognizing resale’s value but have yet to fully partner or integrate, missing potential audience expansion and cultural cachet.
- The “hunt” for the right piece remains core; secondhand is no longer outsider but a badge of connoisseurship and pride.
"Resale is alive and well. It's just not in the places we normally expect."
– Lauren Sherman [55:08]