How UAE came to love preloved clothing

How UAE came to love preloved clothing

With attitudes towards circularity in fashion changing, a look at the preloved fashion market in the UAE

By Sujata Assomull Published: Fri 31 Mar 2023, 5:40 PM

Dubai is home to one of the largest malls in the world. It is known for its high spend on luxury and a penchant for anything new and shiny. However, as the world wakes up to the need to be more responsible about our consumption habits, circular fashion is the new buzzword in the industry. The size of the resale market globally is expected to double by 2026 and be worth a whopping US $218 billion in the next three years. Whether it is celebrities wearing vintage clothing on the red carpet, or luxury brands looking at ways to encourage consumers to resell their products, the way we shop is changing. This region has been slow to the call of circular fashion, but is now starting to catch up and learn that you can have a lot of fun with preloved fashion.

Rae Joseph, a Saudi fashion entrepreneur who spends time between Dubai, Riyadh and New York, started her vintage e-commerce platform 1954 By Rae Joseph in 2018. “The concept of circular fashion exists in our