Going sustainable – the pre-loved movement

Phoenix Style - for the lovers of pre-loved luxury designer fashion

A quality, designer bag delivers a quick update to any wardrobe, but at the same time, offers reassurance that we are making a good investment in what is undoubtedly still an uncertain time

Phoenix Style is one of the UK’s original destinations for authentic pre-loved designer fashion. With a 46-year heritage, it has established itself as a community built for buying and selling luxury designer fashion, jewellery, shoes, and especially handbags. By considering pre-loved, not only are you doing your bit for the environment and circular economy, but you are also more likely to bag a high-quality classic for a fraction of its original price.

The Phoenix team of authenticity specialists will go to every length to ensure that what they sell is the real deal so that you can shop with confidence.

Follow @phoenixstyle_ on Instagram and tune into their #ShopOurDropThursday at 1pm on Instagram Live to get early access to new stock, especially if you are looking to invest in a luxury classic handbag, the investment pieces are known to sell out in minutes. n

phoenixstyle.co.uk | @phoenixstyle_

Being a fashionista can now be truly sustainable as Guildford welcomes Misty & Claridge, its first pre-owned designer women’s consignment boutique

Misty & Claridge’s owner Kim Collins is devoted to style and sustainability. She has over 25 years of international and UK retail experience as a fashion buyer, designer, merchandiser and stylist, gaining her luxury expertise at Louis Vuitton, Versace and Dolce & Gabbana. More recently, her concern for the impact of the fashion industry on the environment motivated the launch of her preloved, designer boutique. will last for years. This allows these classic designs to be bought and sold many times, giving each owner the chance to wear the very best at a snip of the original price, without impacting the environment” she explains. The shop interior is stunning, with shop fittings recycled from Harrods Chloé boutique. Alongside the pre-owned pieces, Kim has carefully curated new fashion from well-known designers to up-andcoming, independent labels. n Coming soon: a club night for women with expert talks on a multitude of subjects. To find out more or get on the list, visit the store or email

office@mistyandclaridge.com | #mistyandclaridge

Saving the planet one outfit at a time

Everyone loves buying stylish clothes for half the price that the big brands sell them at, so why not halve your carbon footprint while you’re at it? Expert retail consultant Mary Portas chatted to Abbey Bamford about why buying second-hand is the sexiest fashion trend yet

Many people think buying second-hand means compromising on quality. Mary’s Living & Giving for Save the Children stores, have a more upmarket image where all funds raised go to help change children’s futures in the UK and across the world. How can we break the stigma around buying pre-loved fashion?

“It’s needs to come from people doing it and making it sexy constantly. If sustainable, modern business is talked about as being cool and sexy, it makes those dinosaurs that are just pumping out sh*t look like they’re not the cool brands to be with. It’s a big, big marketing job.

“You need to be putting pressure on businesses, which I’m doing through the Better Business Act, ensuring that they are thinking about our planet and our people. No brand is totally sustainable yet, but we are on that journey.”

The natural enemy of pre-loved fashion is fast fashion. What are your views on fast fashion and how can we encourage people to move away from it?

“This throw-away society is still being promoted through social media, where you’ve got this ‘buy now’ mentality being forced on you. This is the biggest ship we need to sink. We need to keep shouting out about this and make it deeply unmodern.

“It’s the younger generations that need to shift the dialogue. We need to be posting on social media about what this is doing to the planet.

“People want to think they’re doing the right thing and not just in the earnest way but also in the right, cool, cultural way. I’m on this across as many platforms as possible, as is the fashion industry, but the truth is we need to make policy on this.”

What are you doing to kick-start the global discussion about eco-conscious fashion?

“I’ll cover this on Mary Portas: On Style on Radio 4, which comes out in April. I’m also part of the World Hope Forum, run by Lidewij Edelkoort, where we work with fashion designers and innovators worldwide to look at how we can change the production of fashion.

“Then I have my Mary’s Living & Giving for Save the Children shops which are all about recycling and upcycling”.