Graduate who sees value in selling preloved clothes

A GRADUATE from Goring hopes to expand her sustainable clothes reselling business to bridge generational gaps in fashion.

Lola Adams, 21, graduated from the University of Leeds in July with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.

She launched her business, Dolly, after her childhood nickname, in her final year with the help of friends to increase her income.

It began by reselling imported clothes from Pakistan, mostly denim, which would have otherwise gone to landfill, on platforms including Depop and Vinted.

Now Miss Adams, who lives in High Street, wants to expand her business in the Chilterns and further afield, shifting her focus to sourcing goods locally by offering a personalised wardrobe clear-out service.

She said: “My degree was a lot straighter than fashion but I always wanted to do something in it. I wasn’t really 100 per cent sure what that was, so I kept it quite broad.

“I was living in my bank account and didn’t want to invest in crypto because I had no experience, so I decided to spend the money on clothes and resell them at a higher price.

“I had always sold clothes online but it really took off with the help of friends at university.”

Miss Adams unintentionally realised the opportunity to expand her business locally after a client, from her other ongoing side business of ironing, expressed her frustration with her unwanted clothes. She said: “It started when one of my clients said she had so many clothes she didn’t know what to do with them all.

“I said I would come in to sort through the wardrobe and decide what she wants to keep, sell or for me to take to charity. I think it really lifted a weight off her shoulders.

“It made me realise that there are probably so many people with wardrobes of clothes that they just don’t wear anymore, who don’t have the time to reset it.”

Miss Adams will begin with a wardrobe consultation, deciding with the client which pieces they’d like to keep, donate or sell.

She will then photograph the items and take care of listing, marketing and reselling on platforms, receiving a
commission when the item sells.

She also wants to convey an authentic pre-loved narrative by encouraging clients to share their clothing stories with her, for her to share on social media channels, such as Instagram.

Miss Adams said: “I want to tell the story behind people’s favourite pieces that they’ve resold with Dolly.

“It could be a coat that they got in the 2000s that they wore when they were pregnant and with their three children, that they don’t fit into anymore.

“It could be quite a fun activity for them, telling a story which connects the whole pre-loved narrative, making it feel authentic and bringing them to life.”

Miss Adams was influenced by conversations with her father, Justin, 53, who works in sustainability, that there was a gap. She observed that older generations may be less familiar with reselling platforms and the concept of fast fashion, sometimes viewing pre-loved items with a stigma.

She said: “As my dad worked in sustainability, it was always quite a big dinner table conversation, which I think was instilled in my growing up from childhood and into my adolescence.

“I’m getting people of a different generation to recognise sustainability in a way that’s not abstract, especially for those of the age of 65 and above who aren’t so tech-savvy and I know have some great pieces.

“It’s all in the name of sustainable fashion and I think being able to source more locally would fit better with the brand.”

Miss Adams aims to demonstrate that reselling is a viable and positive alternative to mass consumption and fast fashion.

She said: “I want to get people to be more fashion sustainability-conscious and aware by bridging those generations by making the process much easier for them.

“Fast fashion is a difficult market to break because it’s so cheap to make and buy but people need and want clothes.

“Having said that, I do think that fast fashion is on the decline and pre-loved will take over the market in the next 10 years with people’s minds shifting to being more conscious about shopping and what they are buying.”