In an era where sustainability has become a crucial aspect of consumer behavior, Dolce Vee has positioned itself at the forefront of the pre-loved clothing movement. Founded by Komal Hiranandani, the platform addresses significant environmental concerns by promoting the use of second-hand apparel. In our recent conversation with Hiranandani, we delved into the environmental impact of pre-loved clothing, the stringent quality controls Dolce Vee employs, and the strategies used to make sustainable fashion both appealing and accessible. Hiranandani also shared insights on the challenges and opportunities within the pre-loved fashion market, the importance of transparency in marketing, and the role of technology in enhancing the platform’s efficiency. Read on to discover how Dolce Vee is reshaping the fashion industry and encouraging a shift towards more sustainable consumer choices.
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Q. Dolce Vee emphasizes waste reduction through pre-loved clothing. Can you share specific data or metrics on the environmental impact your platform has generated so far?
A. Absolutely. Through the pieces bought by our community, when purchased preowned over newly manufactured the environmental savings amount to over 3 crore litres of water and 50,000 kgs of carbon. (Estimates calculated using the Dolce Vee Clothing Environmental Footprint Calculator, built in partnership with CERE)
Q. While pre-loved clothing is generally sustainable, there can be variations in quality and origin. Does Dolce Vee have any mechanisms to ensure the pre-loved items on your platform are ethically sourced and in good condition?
A. While several other thrift platforms also sell overstock and items procured from markets and factories, we have a policy of listing only preowned items, received only from individuals. This is to ensure we aren’t incentivising overproduction or general consumption in the name of thrift. Although this makes our processing and procurement much more expensive, it’s at the core of what we do. It’s great to be asked about the condition – it’s a point that has not been discussed enough! In our surveys, one of the biggest factors people give for being hesitant about shopping preowned is that they are concerned that the condition of the product they receive won’t be good. So it’s a critical point that is imperative to address for this sector to take off. We pay close attention to building the best-in-class quality control team, with constant training and retraining to ensure that shoppers can buy with trust and confidence. It’s a complex and time-consuming skill that needs to be built and nurtured – one that is our biggest obsession at Dolce Vee.
Q. Fast fashion caters to the desire for novelty and self-expression. How does Dolce Vee address this psychological aspect of fashion, encouraging a shift towards pre-loved clothing that might be perceived as lacking variety?
A. Love this question. We have to make sustainable fashion fun, aspirational and accessible, rather than preachy. One of the great thing about the way we source, wherein people from across demographics across the country give their clothes for sale, is that the supply we receive is broadly reflective of the demographics that already exist in the market. This was a conscious decision, rather than limiting to “curated” sourcing, to ensure that everyone is represented in the mix. And to really move the needle on environmental conservation, we need to work the challenging unit economics of this sector to make budget preowned fashion accessible to all. India is also very fortunate that many leading cultural icons – from actors to sportspersons to fashion stylists – have used their voice to promote preowned fashion, and have led by example, shopping preowned and giving pieces from their personal closets for sale regularly. Buyers can shop these celebrity preowned picks from our website or Instagram. This goes a very long way in helping reshape the psychology of thrift as a fashion-forward lifestyle.
Q. Second-hand clothing can sometimes lack the "newness" associated with luxury brands. Does Dolce Vee have plans to target a more luxury pre-loved clothing segment, potentially attracting a new audience to the sustainable fashion movement?
A. That’s why we take quality control so seriously – to ensure that all customers, regardless of their budget size, have access to quality-assured preowned finds. So the “newness” is available to all, for both luxury and non-luxury pieces. We cater to luxury as well, and sell both Western and Ethnic from brands from Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Sabyasachi and TarunTahiliani. But since the luxury preowned market alone is not deep enough to move the needle, we feel strongly about catering to budget fashion as well.
Q. "Greenwashing" exists where companies make unsubstantiated eco-friendly claims. How does Dolce Vee ensure its messaging and marketing around sustainability are transparent and verifiable?
A. There have been so many metrics that have been suggested to us, which we can use to market ourselves, but that don’t meet our standards of communication. I have a background in research, so we work to bake thorough and accurate representation into Dolce Vee’s DNA. There are many pressures to make things “short and snappy” in the social media age – but that’s not always how statistics work. So even if something is “technically correct”, we need to make sure we are presenting it in such a way that the average consumer, without a science background, can grasp its true meaning, rather than overestimate the climate-positive impact they have.
Q. Many people are aware of the environmental impact of fashion. How does Dolce Vee's strategy go beyond simply raising awareness and translate it into concrete behavioural changes towards pre-loved clothing?
A. Absolutely correct – awareness is the first step, but we know from more than enough consumer studies by now that it is not sufficient. We have to operate in the environment in which consumers shop – with fashion and cultural icons, and most importantly, by ensuring that they can depend on us for quality products at value prices. If the sustainable fashion industry does not engage the market using consumer behaviour insights, we won’t be able to claim closet share.
Q. Does Dolce Vee collaborate with other sustainable fashion brands or environmental organizations to amplify the impact of the pre-loved clothing movement?
A. The Centre for Environmental Research and Education has been a wonderful partner, helping consumers understand the tangible impact of participating in the circular economy. We remain grateful for the efforts of such organisations, who work hard every day towards this cause. It’s also been so wonderful to see leading fashion designers themselves selling pieces from their personal closets. Gone are the days of “us versus them” – we have to celebrate fashion, the amazing impact the industry has, and work with the fashion industry to make preowned part of the diverse mix of what’s in our closets.
Q. You mention exciting developments in connecting people with the positive impacts of pre-loved clothing. Can you elaborate on these future plans and how technology might play a role in Dolce Vee's mission?
A. There is so much about this industry that is built on the back of technology. The unit economics are simply impossible to justify without automation and image recognition artificial intelligence ingrained in our processes. As we build our tech-stack, more and more people will be able to access the budget preowned fashion segment.
Q. What are some of the biggest challenges Dolce Vee faces in promoting pre-loved clothing? Conversely, what exciting opportunities do you see for growth in the pre-loved fashion market?
A. The logistics are certainly challenging – and we often internally see ourselves more as a logistics and technology company, rather than only a fashion company. But this is also the most exciting opportunity because of the many ways in which technology and automation can make the logistics more efficient. The heart of our work is balancing how to time and implement scaling, creating the market as we go along.
