7 Dead Brands You Should Be Buying Secondhand
Letting you in on my saved searches.
Having made it through over a decade in the fashion industry, it’s sad to say that my career has outlived a number of brands whose work I loved. Every once and a while, their names will pop in conversation with a friend reminiscing over a fashion show (Sies Marjan) or the jacket we all wanted back in 2016 (Saks Potts). While some of them I still have in my closet, others I’ve created saved searches for on The Real Real and eBay, always hunting for that elusive design never to be made again.
In our personal lives, when something ends, it’s often looked at as a failure. A divorce, a departed restaurant, or a work project. But, things end for all sorts of reasons, personal or otherwise, and I like to think about the life a brand can have even after its departure. How can it be a failure when people are still out there coveting what was created?
I’m sharing some of the brands I keep searching for, even if they’re no longer making anything new.
Sies Marjan
Though founder Sander Lak has recently re-emerged with a new and eponymous label, I still think back to the good ‘ol days of the Sies Marjan runway shows at NYFW, jam-packed with deliciously kooky color combinations. I’m usually on the hunt for gauzy ombré tops and pastel pants, which are jazzy additions to my everyday look.
Glitter Shirt ($70)
Scoop Neck Sweater ($42)
Rainbow Pants ($325)
Trademark
Founded by the daughters of Chris Burch (ex-husband to Tory) back in 2013, this simple, elegant label had a whole subset of downtown New York in its clutches. Since shuttering in 2019, I still keep an eye out — especially for the brand’s bags and shoes, but the low-key ready-to-wear (like this pom pom sweater) is super affordable and cute.
Bucket Bag ($105)
Tomato Sweater ($56)
T-Strap Sandal ($56)
Veda
Not totally defunct—the brand makes the leather jackets for Reformation— the annual sample sales on Canal street used to be my favorite place to pick up everything from tie-dye silk dresses to zany knits (and of course, leathers). Now secondhand, you can get extremely well-priced and good quality pieces, which is why I’m always keeping one eye out for something like a new trench.
Leather Pants ($95)
Biker Jacket ($147)
Snake-Print Skirt (leather mislabeled as polyester) ($35)
Plus five more… including a steal of a winter coat, and the velvet vest I reverse image search monthly.
