May we introduce? Virginia Feacey, UK Country Manager for REBELLE, based in London. Her mission? Discovering designer treasures in London’s closets and introducing REBELLE to the UK market. Get to know all about our Personal Concierge Service and what a typical working day is like for Virginia in the UK’s fashion capital.
Interview Virginia
REBELLE offers a "Personal Fashion Concierge Service" in London, where you visit customers at their home and help them sell their designer treasures. How does an appointment like this work?
These are always fun! Customers contact us via the link on our website and we give them a quick call to schedule an appointment. We then talk them through the process and the condition the items need to be in. Once I’m there many customers have already selected what they want to sell or we go through their wardrobe together to find sellable pieces. We discuss a rough price estimate together, although our experts at our head office double- check these again. Then I take everything with me to be sent off for photos, description and storage. Customers receive their payment straight to their bank account once the pieces have sold.
For many customers this is quite a cleansing experience! I’m often not only helping them to sell their once loved pieces, but we often share stories about the history of the item, when it was last worn, to what occasion, etc. It’s fascinating to meet all these different people and for them to share a tiny bit of their lives with me!
All appointments are of course completely confidential, and no one needs to know you’re selling through us. However, a lot of my appointments are now also through word of mouth. It’s a very intimate experience going through someone’s wardrobe and you definitely build up a level of trust with clients.
How do you keep your wardrobe tidy?
I’m a bit of a neat freak! I keep my clothing sorted by category and then by colour, meaning everything is sorted from light to dark colours within its category. Living in London, you have to be creative with storage space, so I rotate my summer and winter wardrobes. I also de-clutter on an ongoing basis and sell the high- end items through rebelle.com and bring the others to charity.
What was the last item in your wardrobe that had to go?
A black Self-Portrait top, that I bought a bit too small and a Michael Kors watch I haven’t worn for a decade and had forgotten about…
What's your favourite designer piece right now?
Hmm, I’d say the Chloé Carly belt, which has just hit the shops. A good belt can really change your outfit, so that’s on my list. And maybe some Balenciaga Knife pointed pumps, although I’m not sure about a kitten-heel on me...
Then there’s also a ton of things on my REBELLE wish list. I’ve been looking for the Chanel Boy Chevron in navy with the 3 different types of leather from their S/S16 collection to come in. We had one a while ago, but I missed out, so if there are any sellers out there….?
Despite having a streamlined wardrobe, every woman can have one of those “I have nothing to wear” moments. What’s your advice?
Two things:
Find a go- to outfit you love, which you can go back to again and again without having to think about it. It should be an outfit you feel good and comfortable in, which gives you confidence. That’ll take the stress out of those manic “I have nothing to wear” mornings. For me that’s a blazer and denim. I roll up the cuffs to give it a more casual, stylish look and add some fun shoes and accessories for a bit of polish.
Take some time to get re- acquainted with your wardrobe. You bought all those pieces once because you loved them, so think about ways of styling them differently and in unexpected combinations to create completely new outfits. You’d be surprised by how many different ways you can style that one skirt…
Real London style is a bit edgy and very fashion forward!
How do you define real London style? What essentials do I need for the perfect London look?
Real London style is a bit edgy and very fashion forward! It also really depends on which part of London you’re in. Chelsea and Mayfair will give you an abundance of designer pieces. Shoreditch and East London will have a much cooler and laid-back vibe. Actually, pretty much anything goes in London- the main thing is to find your own unique style. And if you really are looking for an essential, I’d say it’s a designer handbag. It’s the absolute IT- piece and elevates every outfit. I know it’s an investment, but you’ll get so much wear out of it!
Your style in three words?
Classic with an edge. Uups, that’s 4 words.
Every day is different!
What does a typical day in your work life look like?
Every day is different! That’s why I love my job. I’m always on the go meeting people around London. I might start off my day catching up with our PR agency, then head on to meet one of our 2nd hand boutique partners, who sell through us and finally visit a VIP customer for a good ol’ wardrobe clear out session. In between all that, I’m always on the phone speaking with other collaboration partners and with our head office in Hamburg, as we need to be really closely aligned so that everything runs smoothly form a marketing and operations perspective.
Where did you get your fashion know-how?
I’ve always loved fashion and how fast-paced this industry is! My first fashion job was at Orsay, a German fast fashion company, as part of the business development team. It was our job to improve the operations, marketing and buying processes, so I gained a very deep understand on how fashion businesses are run. After I moved to London I joined the Personal Shopping department at Harrods for a year. Harrods has one of the best selections of luxury fashion in the world. Working there you are completely immersed in that world, so you quickly gain an understanding of the design, quality and craftsmanship that goes into these products, but also what high net worth clients are looking for from a customer service perspective.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I’ve always believed that fashion can completely change the way a person feels about themselves and that it’s a way to express your personality. I also believe that owning luxury items shouldn’t just be possible for a select few, but for a wider audience.
With rebelle.com we are making it possible for someone to own “that IT- bag” or “that dress”, but for a fraction of its original price. And we’re also doing something good for the planet and helping to reduce textile waste, by making it really simple to re-sell your once loved pieces.
What do you mean by that?
Textile waste is the second biggest pollutant on our planet, after oil. People are slowly starting to realise that the way we consume fashion today has a very damaging impact on our planet.
But, even changing just a little thing, like re-selling your clothes or buying pre-loved can have a positive impact on our planet. We, as consumers, can influence the decisions fashion companies make in their manufacturing processes by the choices we make, and we can also help close the fashion loop by re-using and re-selling items we no longer wear.