“Every piece tells a story,” declared Vogue as its first “Vintage Market” arrived at Australian Fashion Week this month. The event allowed customers to buy second-hand pieces selected by the magazine’s editors, following similar activations in both the US and UK. Near the Sydney Opera House, shoppers sifted through archival designer garments, pre-loved luxury and editor-curated oddities at the city’s cruise ship terminal. There were “holy grails” from the old runway era of luxury
ury, now recirculating through TikTok moodboards and resale feeds. Beyond the physical racks, Ebay live-streamed dedicated auctions directly from the market floor.
For the industry, Vogue’s backing means “pre-loved” – once a dirty word – is very much on trend.
Ebay’s Zannie Abbott argued the event represented a visible manifestation of changes across the fashion retail industry over several years. “We’re seeing a clear shift in the way Aussies think about value, with resale and recommerce becoming a natural part of everyday shopping behaviour, particularly within fashion,” Abbott said. Ebay’s partnership with Vogue was cultivated from data that was already visible across the platform, where second-hand fashion has settled into mainstream consumer life. An Ebay report from last year noted nearly nine in 10 consumers planned to maintain or increase their spending on second-hand goods during the past year. “It’s value, sustainability and individuality all coming together,” Abbott said.
Consumers appear drawn to garments that evoke nostalgia for another era or person, whether that means an old runway piece, a discontinued handbag or a jacket tied to a particular subculture. Abbott said Ebay has observed a growing appetite for fashion attached to “a sense of discovery”, particularly across pre-loved categories. “Our latest data shows strong performance in legacy luxury brands alongside growing momentum in emerging labels,” she explained. The effect is visible across wildly different price brackets. For example, an Alemais Evergreen Midi Dress recently sold on Ebay for $688, while demand for Coach Tabby bags climbed more than 200 per cent year-on-year.
Today’s shoppers track drops through TikTok clips, follow sellers with cult-like attentiveness and livestream purchases. Abbott believes this behaviour helped shape Ebay Live, the platform’s streaming commerce channel, which broadcast directly from the Vogue Vintage Market floor across dedicated auction sessions. “Launching pre-loved fashion onto Ebay Live felt like a natural extension of this growing fandom-like culture,” Abbott said. The company cited research showing 83 per cent of Gen Z consumers and 58 per cent of millennials in the United States have already engaged with live shopping formats.
That atmosphere extended well beyond the Fashion Week market itself. Last week, Australian band The Veronicas listed pieces from their personal collections exclusively on Ebay Australia, including tour memorabilia, vintage fashion and specific relics accumulated over decades on the road. Singer Lisa Origliasso’s listings included a “Witches Scrying Mirror” dating back to the 1840s, alongside hoop earrings purchased after the duo signed their first record deal, while bandmate Jess Origliasso listed an Alexander McQueen skull scarf synonymous with mid-2000s indie-rock fashion. Auctions opened from $50.
Ebay’s role progressively sits “at the intersection of commerce, culture and community”, as Abbott puts it, since younger consumers search for pieces carrying individuality and historical significance. It also helps explain why categories like collectables have grown alongside fashion on the platform. Ebay data showed strong Australian demand for everything from Lego Stranger Things sets to Pokémon memorabilia during the past year, implying contemporary retail rewards emotional specificity over generic sameness.
The event came alongside news that Ebay Australia would remove fees for sellers on transactions up to $25,000 annually. Ebay believes Australians collectively hold an estimated $32 billion in potential resale value in their homes, with the average household holding around 15 sellable items. “We’re seeing more Aussies recognise the value sitting in their wardrobes and homes,” Abbott said.
Fashion retailers once spent decades persuading consumers to accumulate endlessly. Now, the business opportunity lies in helping them circulate those possessions back into the economy with fresh mythology attached.
Further reading: The rise of second-hand shopping in Australia: A cultural and economic shift
