International Women's Day with Fanny Moizant

International Women's Day with Fanny Moizant

Championing and empowering women is one of DeMellier’s core values, on International Women’s Day and everyday. To celebrate this special day we caught up with Fanny Moizant, the President and Co-Founder of Vestiaire Collective.

A global luxury resale platform, Vestiaire Collective is leading the way in the sustainable consumption of fashion. A changemaker and champion of the circular economy, Fanny tells us about her career, inspirations and female role models.

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Please tell us a little bit about yourself
I am from the south of France with Spanish roots. I studied a double degree in Business and Fashion. After my first degree I worked in Marketing for 6 years - mainly within the interior design industry. However, after these years, I really missed fashion, so I decided to go to the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in Paris. After graduating from IFM I had that lightbulb moment when I realised the fashion industry had changed significantly under the influence of fast fashion. I could see there was an opportunity to create a platform to slow down overconsumption, so I decided to launch Vestiaire Collective alongside my 5 co-founders.

What was the motivation for creating Vestiaire Collective?
After the fashion course, I was looking at the industry and I couldn't find anything that really captivated me. To justify leaving my children at home I needed to find something that I would feel super motivated for and would have a positive impact. So I reconnected with my family roots, with four generations of entrepreneurs, and started exploring the idea of creating my own company.

I was really looking for a collective project that would excite me so that is when I stepped back and looked at what was going on in the fashion industry. With the rise in fast fashion, I wanted to challenge the overconsumption and this really motivated me to introduce the concept of circularity to a wider audience.

How do the values of the Vestiaire Collective link to your personal story?
When I first started researching the concept, women were selling previous season styles on their own blogs. At the time I was interested in buying these items but it wasn’t a trusted or efficient process and there was no guarantee of authenticity. I looked at this and tried to understand the different behaviours; how the industry is over producing and how consumers are over consuming. This has led to a massive problem - and it is really this that we are trying to fix at Vestiaire Collective.

Back then we called it “waste in people’s wardrobes” and this was true in my own wardrobe as well as my friends’. We all had way too many things, most of which we never wore. It was all about how we can fight this waste in an intelligent or smart way, building a platform that is vertical in fashion, not horizontal compared to other existing platforms at that time. The main focus was on services, mainly building trust with the authentication and quality control process while also presenting it in an inspiring way, making the whole second hand experience as cool and seamless as buying new items.

How have people’s buying habits changed since you first launched Vestiaire Collective?
Dramatically - it used to be quite simple with price being the main reason for second hand purchases. Affordability is still the number one driver but what has changed significantly since Covid is sustainability. People really understand how they can make an impact by changing the way they consume fashion, because when you buy a second hand item you save 90% of the impact on the planet. The third element which stems from education and usage is the thrill of the hunt, because when you shop on resale platforms in general you never know what you are going to find. There is a scarcity element and this sense of urgency - it is like a treasure hunt. The experience of buying pre-loved is driven by emotion and so that has completely changed in the past 10 years.

What has been your proudest moment in your career to date?
There have been many but if I had to name one I think it would be becoming a B Corp certified business in 2021. Another highlight for me was having Al Gore, the ex-Vice President of the United States and his sustainability fund, Generation Investment Management, invest in Vestiaire Collective. These two moments really were confirmation that we are recognised as a force for good in the industry.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself
I am from the south of France with Spanish roots. I studied a double degree in Business and Fashion. After my first degree I worked in Marketing for 6 years - mainly within the interior design industry. However, after these years, I really missed fashion, so I decided to go to the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) in Paris. After graduating from IFM I had that lightbulb moment when I realised the fashion industry had changed significantly under the influence of fast fashion. I could see there was an opportunity to create a platform to slow down overconsumption, so I decided to launch Vestiaire Collective alongside my 5 co-founders.

What was the motivation for creating Vestiaire Collective?
After the fashion course, I was looking at the industry and I couldn't find anything that really captivated me. To justify leaving my children at home I needed to find something that I would feel super motivated for and would have a positive impact. So I reconnected with my family roots, with four generations of entrepreneurs, and started exploring the idea of creating my own company.

I was really looking for a collective project that would excite me so that is when I stepped back and looked at what was going on in the fashion industry. With the rise in fast fashion, I wanted to challenge the overconsumption and this really motivated me to introduce the concept of circularity to a wider audience.

How do the values of the Vestiaire Collective link to your personal story?
When I first started researching the concept, women were selling previous season styles on their own blogs. At the time I was interested in buying these items but it wasn’t a trusted or efficient process and there was no guarantee of authenticity. I looked at this and tried to understand the different behaviours; how the industry is over producing and how consumers are over consuming. This has led to a massive problem - and it is really this that we are trying to fix at Vestiaire Collective.

Back then we called it “waste in people’s wardrobes” and this was true in my own wardrobe as well as my friends’. We all had way too many things, most of which we never wore. It was all about how we can fight this waste in an intelligent or smart way, building a platform that is vertical in fashion, not horizontal compared to other existing platforms at that time. The main focus was on services, mainly building trust with the authentication and quality control process while also presenting it in an inspiring way, making the whole second hand experience as cool and seamless as buying new items.

How have people’s buying habits changed since you first launched Vestiaire Collective?
Dramatically - it used to be quite simple with price being the main reason for second hand purchases. Affordability is still the number one driver but what has changed significantly since Covid is sustainability. People really understand how they can make an impact by changing the way they consume fashion, because when you buy a second hand item you save 90% of the impact on the planet. The third element which stems from education and usage is the thrill of the hunt, because when you shop on resale platforms in general you never know what you are going to find. There is a scarcity element and this sense of urgency - it is like a treasure hunt. The experience of buying pre-loved is driven by emotion and so that has completely changed in the past 10 years.

What has been your proudest moment in your career to date?
There have been many but if I had to name one I think it would be becoming a B Corp certified business in 2021. Another highlight for me was having Al Gore, the ex-Vice President of the United States and his sustainability fund, Generation Investment Management, invest in Vestiaire Collective. These two moments really were confirmation that we are recognised as a force for good in the industry.

" With the rise in fast fashion, I wanted to challenge the overconsumption and this really motivated me to introduce the concept of circularity to a wider audience "

How do you balance your work and personal life?
I don’t, I struggle as much as anyone! There are lots of compromises and a lot of energy poured into both sides, the business and my family, and trying as much as I can to prioritise what is important. It helps that I have a pretty equal relationship with my husband and we share the house tasks, so we can both do our jobs, but it is always difficult nevertheless.

What female role models do you look up to and why?
The women that were fighters and came from difficult situations. For instance, my Grandma who fled Spain and came to France during the war. She was very poor but she made everything happen by the force of her strength and a great willingness to get a better life. Herself and my mum were the driving forces within their own families and that mentality has really shaped who I am as well.

What key learnings would you like to pass on to the next generation of women?
For me it is trust. Trust yourself, don’t ask for a seat at the table, just take it. Follow what is inside. The story of Vestiaire is that I followed my gut at key moments. I had little knowledge and qualifications in the digital world to launch a business but I trusted the fire inside and I worked very hard.

Another key thing for me is to enjoy the ride and the learning curve. I am grateful all these years later to still be learning everyday and meeting incredible people and really growing with the company. Support is important too, for me at Vestiaire Collective we were a group of founders and that has helped along the way as well as the collective passion surrounding the mission. For us it really was the right idea at the right time and today it is still very relevant so when you are lucky enough to wake up every morning and realise what you are doing has an impact - you are lucky.

How do you champion women in your personal and professional life?
By being there as a friend, as a mentor or just providing advice. I really try to support them as much as possible, to build confidence and champion them and really cherish their value.

Why do you think it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
First of all I don’t think we should just be celebrating women only once a year. We are all equals and this should be recognised everyday. One of the positives of this day is the sharing of stories and for me this is really powerful. At Vestiaire we have task forces within the teams and one of them is focused on female empowerment. What stands out for me is when I shared my personal experiences of imposter syndrome during an employee session. After the talk I have never had so many emails from my own team members saying that they were surprised that I experienced this but it really made them communicate and share their own stories - it was eye-opening to all share our experiences on a common feeling.

What stands out to you about DeMellier?
The common ground we share in terms of ethics, sustainability, and the social dimension of the brand - I admire that. Your transparency on the materials, provenance and techniques used across your collections is hugely important to today’s consumer, so it is great to see your commitment to this as well. And if you ask me for a favourite bag, that would have to be the Maxi Santorini in tan, I can’t wait for the summer to come.
How do you balance your work and personal life?
I don’t, I struggle as much as anyone! There are lots of compromises and a lot of energy poured into both sides, the business and my family, and trying as much as I can to prioritise what is important. It helps that I have a pretty equal relationship with my husband and we share the house tasks, so we can both do our jobs, but it is always difficult nevertheless.

What female role models do you look up to and why?
The women that were fighters and came from difficult situations. For instance, my Grandma who fled Spain and came to France during the war. She was very poor but she made everything happen by the force of her strength and a great willingness to get a better life. Herself and my mum were the driving forces within their own families and that mentality has really shaped who I am as well.

What key learnings would you like to pass on to the next generation of women?
For me it is trust. Trust yourself, don’t ask for a seat at the table, just take it. Follow what is inside. The story of Vestiaire is that I followed my gut at key moments. I had little knowledge and qualifications in the digital world to launch a business but I trusted the fire inside and I worked very hard.

Another key thing for me is to enjoy the ride and the learning curve. I am grateful all these years later to still be learning everyday and meeting incredible people and really growing with the company. Support is important too, for me at Vestiaire Collective we were a group of founders and that has helped along the way as well as the collective passion surrounding the mission. For us it really was the right idea at the right time and today it is still very relevant so when you are lucky enough to wake up every morning and realise what you are doing has an impact - you are lucky.

How do you champion women in your personal and professional life?
By being there as a friend, as a mentor or just providing advice. I really try to support them as much as possible, to build confidence and champion them and really cherish their value.

Why do you think it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
First of all I don’t think we should just be celebrating women only once a year. We are all equals and this should be recognised everyday. One of the positives of this day is the sharing of stories and for me this is really powerful. At Vestiaire we have task forces within the teams and one of them is focused on female empowerment. What stands out for me is when I shared my personal experiences of imposter syndrome during an employee session. After the talk I have never had so many emails from my own team members saying that they were surprised that I experienced this but it really made them communicate and share their own stories - it was eye-opening to all share our experiences on a common feeling.

What stands out to you about DeMellier?
The common ground we share in terms of ethics, sustainability, and the social dimension of the brand - I admire that. Your transparency on the materials, provenance and techniques used across your collections is hugely important to today’s consumer, so it is great to see your commitment to this as well. And if you ask me for a favourite bag, that would have to be the Maxi Santorini in tan, I can’t wait for the summer to come.
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" Trust yourself, don't ask for a seat at the table, just take it "

MEET FANNY:

MEET FANNY:

INSTAGRAM:@fannymoizant