Whether you’re a nostalgic archivist, lover of vintage, or a price savvy consumer, pre-owned fashion has stood as a gateway into a more conscious consumption for sustainability fans. Waste occurs at every stage of the manufacturing process, harming wildlife, degrading land, and polluting soil and water and fast fashion has left an undeniable contribution to the climate crisis. As the second hand market has risen in popularity, stylist and sustainability entrepreneur, Clare Richardson has chosen to turn away from overconsumption and focus on the value of investment pieces that can stand the test of time. As a British Vogue contributor and former fashion director of Holiday Magazine, Richardson has made significant strides towards the marriage of style and sustainability, forging her career working with photographers like Hedi Slimane, Peter Lindbergh, Daniel Jackson, Josh Olins and her husband, Dan Martensen.

The mind behind Reluxe, Richardson created a resale platform that offers an easily navigable and sustainable approach to luxury fashion. The online resale platform has been reshaping the industry’s landscape by providing a more curated selection of pre-loved fashion pieces compared to sometimes daunting competitors in the market. “I’ve always shot vintage and pre-loved, but I started to feel like a lot of these models were looking like fast fashion, where it’s all about buy, buy, buy and you’re fire-hosing the consumer with tons and tons of product.” Creating a community of sustainably dedicated leaders in the industry like Edie Campbell, Zinnia Kumar, Andreea Diaconu, Amber Valletta, Indira Scott and many more, Richardson has made sure championing conscious consumerism doesn’t stop with her. Directed by Dan Martensen, Models.com spoke with the stylist and sustainability activist on her expansive career, creating a platform that aligned with her values, and the fashion industry’s role in addressing the looming climate crisis.