Our collective love of fashion is killing our planet. Today’s $1.8 trillion fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than all international flights and shipping combined. The rise of fast fashion made the problem even worse - leading to 60 billion garments ending up in landfills within a year (CNN), and a 40% decrease in the number of times an item is worn (Retail Dive). The fashion industry is now the world’s third most polluting industry.
Pre-loved clothing can cut the carbon footprint of your closet by as much as 70% (American Apparel Association). As the world's largest secondhand marketplace, and largest fashion authenticator, eBay was poised to save the planet from fast fashion. While 65% of shoppers claim to buy pre-loved fashion, the category makes up just 10% of fashion sales.
We needed to reposition eBay as the ultimate, sustainable alternative to fast fashion with access to a nearly infinite supply of pre-owned and archival pieces from top fashion designers around the world.
Fashion shows have always been about what's new - equating upcoming collections with what it means to be fashion-forward. We flipped that notion on its head, creating 2024's most talk-worthy runway shows from pre-loved pieces.
eBay created Endless Runway with - not against - the fashion industry, partnering directly with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and British Fashion Council, the creators of NY and London Fashion Weeks, to get on the calendar and show up credibly in the space.
We launched in NY, the day before Fashion Week officially started, with a show curated by style expert Wisdom Kaye - including looks from American designers Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, and more. The following week, we showed up at London Fashion Week, where Amy Bannerman styled a show featuring pieces from Vivian Westwood, Wales Bonner, Alexander McQueen, and more.
In both shows, models walked a circular runway, a reminder that style is cyclical, and every garment can have several lives, looks, and owners. Both shows were streamed on eBay Live for fashion enthusiasts to shop in real-time.
Endless Runway didn’t end on the runway. Throughout fashion week, eBay dropped pre-loved collections on the platform from the same designers showing that day.
Finally, eBay worked with CFDA and British Fashion Council to establish the Circular Fashion Fund, providing $1M in capital to support sustainable fashion start-ups ensure Endless Runway’s momentum lived on.
Endless Runway was a huge success, driving global attention, shifting consumer behavior, and positively impacting perceptions of the brand.
