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Grassroots second hand platform Known Source launches

Tom Shearsmith
01 December 2022

Known Source, a platform uniting fashion buyers and sellers with a game-changing new eco-system built on a grass-roots foundation, has launched in the UK.

Founded by Henry McNeill-Njoku and Theo El-Kattan, Known Source offers a curated platform that "champions small businesses", offering consumers a more sustainable and meaningful way to purchase fashion.

According to the company, excess stock has caused the experience of shopping second hand fashion to suffer with competitor marketplaces, often feeling overcrowded with low quality clothing.

Known Source has launched with a selection of 40 founding dealers including Archive Six, Linear Vintage and Nordic Poetry. Brands on offer include Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Barbour, Carhartt, Diesel, Fendi, Vivienne Westwood, and Yves Saint Laurent.

The environmental damaged caused by the fashion industry is fuelled by a reliance on linear consumption and excess. Products on Known Source can go full circle thanks to its unique feature RENEW, which will see Known Source re-sell any item bought via the platform at any point in the future.

Speaking about his prior industry experience, McNeill-Njoku, who is also an established seller in the second hand scene, commented: “As a seller, getting exposure for my items is impossible. On other marketplaces, for example, there are sometimes over 15 million active listings. In addition to this, top sellers like myself are not recognised or appreciated for the role we’ve played in getting people to shop second hand.”

El-Kattan added: “From experience as a buyer, discovering the right piece is difficult and time consuming. Buying from unverified sellers is unrewarding to say the least. And on an individual, more emotional level, we live in an age of info-obesity… our discovery and suggestions are controlled by algorithms, e-commerce is missing that human touch!

“We've loved getting to know every one of our dealers over the last few years. What's been made clear is that oversaturation is killing the industry and how, as a result, we're all championing the unique.”

Last month, Vestiaire Collective confirmed it will ban the resale of fast fashion on its global platform as part of its mission to "fight fashion waste".

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