If there’s one aspect at the core of Alexander McQueen’s designs, it is their timelessness – so why not introduce them to a new generation of fashion lovers? That’s one of the goals of the new collab between the English fashion house and resale platform Vestiaire Collective, launching this week. 

The circular partnership starts with McQueen’s team contacting select clients to sell back their Alexander McQueen pieces, which will be assessed and authenticated by the house, and then exchanged for a credit note that can be used to buy new items from McQueen stores. Vestiaire Collective will also process the pieces and add an NFC tag with information confirming their authenticity. The garments will be exclusively available on the “Brand Approved” tab on Vestiaire Collective’s app and website.

The luxury house is the first to participate in the platform’s “Brand Approved” program. The collaboration emphasizes Alexander McQueen’s commitment to durable luxury fashion and sustainable practices – for its Pre-Spring/Summer ‘21 collection, for example, the label created designs using stock fabric. Vestiaire Collective’s philosophy is also focused on disseminating a more conscious shopping culture. 

“Alexander McQueen is committed to a move towards circular practice, both in the design studio and in the development of new business models,” Alexander McQueen CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger said in a press release. “We are confident that our customers will be equally excited to take part in an initiative that challenges a linear economy and sets a new and more sustainable standard  for the future.”

In the same press statement, Vestiaire Collective co-founder and president Fanny Moizant highlighted the collab’s goal of instituting a circular behavior in fashion. “There is an urgent need to address the way we currently produce and consume fashion,” she said. “Vestiaire Collective’s ‘Brand Approved’ programme offers a sustainable  solution, reinforcing the importance of durability, whilst empowering first-hand  fashion players to disrupt their linear business models and embrace circularity.”

Some of the first designs from the partnership available on Vestiaire are the iconic tartan skirt from the Fall/Winter 2006 collection by the late designer and a sleeveless tuxedo jacket from Sarah Burton’s first show as creative director for Spring/Summer 2011. Shoppers can access the collaboration on the Vestiaire Collective app and vestiairecollective.com.