logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
18m 13s

Making second-hand sexy

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Can apps like Depop and By Rotation, which are giving new life to old clothes, help reduce the fashion industry's enormous environmental footprint?

Justin Rowlatt heads to the London offices of both these online platforms. Depop's Justine Porterie explains how their clothing resale app helped Gen Z take back control of their wardrobes and fall in love with second-hand clothes. Meanwhile Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of By Rotation, retells how she came up with the concept of a high fashion rental app after seeing all the discarded garments piling up in her hometown in Rajasthan.

These apps have grown enormously during the last two years of lockdowns, attracting millions of users, particularly teenagers. But Sarah Kent, editor at the Business of Fashion website, questions whether they can really make a dent in the sheer volume of clothes produced and disposed of every year.

Producer: Laurence Knight

(Picture: Someone photographing a sweater for sale online; Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
Sierra Leone: Tracking a drug kingpin
In the second of two episodes, Ed Butler tracks the whereabouts and connections of one of Europe's most wanted drug criminals. Despite denials from the President's family, law enforcement agencies say Jos Leijdekkers is enjoying privileged status in Sierra Leone. The country's Ju ... Show More
19m 52s
Apr 2026
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2026
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2021
How Depop is Tapping Into What Gen Z Wants with its Fashion Resale App
In this episode, we’re talking about social media. While Facebook and Twitter still dominate the space, apps like TikTok and Clubhouse are offering people new ways to express themselves and form communities. Amy chatted with Maria Raga, the CEO of Depop, the fashion resale app th ... Show More
34m 13s
Sep 2022
Why Sustainability is a Fashion Staple
One of the fastest-growing sectors in the fashion and apparel industry has been the resale market, fueled by price and environmental concerns. So what are the opportunities and challenges for retailers and investors? And how will the macro challenges facing today’s consumers affe ... Show More
22m 46s
Mar 2025
Giving used clothes a new life
Datshiane Navanayagam talks to two women from Brazil and the UK who have online businesses buying and selling second hand clothes.Ana Luiza McLaren is a co-founder of Enjoei, the biggest second hand selling site in Brazil. She started selling her own clothes through a blog she wr ... Show More
26m 28s
Apr 2020
How A Custom Shopping App Multiplied Their Conversion Rates
<p>In this episode, you'll learn from an entrepreneur who built a shopping app for their brand which ultimately increased their conversion rate. </p><p>True Vintage is a leading vintage clothing retailer providing global customer base with an eco-friendly approach to fashion.  </ ... Show More
45m 1s
Jun 2021
Rapid Response: Fashioning a greener closet, w/Rent the Runway's Jenn Hyman
Fashion became secondary amid Covid lockdowns. Sweatpants-only life pressed apparel-subscription service Rent the Runway into layoffs and furloughs. But as co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman explains, the business saw a surprising rebound early this year, fueled by new customers in un ... Show More
31m 32s
Dec 2024
Luxury, not landfill — the waste-free future of fashion | Joon Silverstein
Fashion is a huge part of the world's waste problem, but it doesn't have to be. Coachtopia founder Joon Silverstein shows how her company creates new designs from the waste products of another, a circular process that cuts the need for new raw materials — and rethinks what qualif ... Show More
13m 51s
Dec 2021
Where do your online returns go? | Aparna Mehta
Do you ever order clothes online in different sizes and colors, just to try them on and then send back what doesn't work? Aparna Mehta used to do this all time, until she one day asked herself: Where do all these returned clothes go? In an eye-opening talk, she reveals the unseen ... Show More
11m 6s
Dec 2024
The Future of Resale
<p>Resale is no longer confined to thrift stores or niche platforms; it has grown into a roughly $50 billion industry in the U.S. alone, by some measures. Platforms like Poshmark, The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective have transformed the experience, making it more accessible and ... Show More
28m 49s