When McLean, Virginia native Sophia Kianni and her roommate Phoebe Gates (sure, that Gates) requested their classmates at Stanford College in the event that they shopped secondhand, they have been shocked to see solely two individuals increase their palms.
“We requested them ‘Why?’” Kianni recalled, “And loads of them have been like, ‘I do not know what resale platforms exist.’”
They realized that whereas secondhand procuring is rising at an exponential tempo – the worldwide market is predicted to achieve $367 billion by 2029, according to a report by the platform ThredUp – it’s nonetheless inaccessible to many. Folks usually don’t have the time to look by way of a whole lot of choices on totally different resale websites to purchase a bit of clothes.
In an AI entrepreneurship class, Kianni and Gates got here up with an concept for an app that compares costs on objects throughout many retailers and secondhand procuring websites. That manner, individuals might see if an merchandise they wished to purchase was obtainable on a secondhand website for a greater value.
“It very a lot was very buggy, like I’d be a black purse and I would get a pink pockets, but it surely was in the fitting path,” she mentioned. “And so we actually noticed, ‘Oh my gosh, there is a chance to do that.’ After which we determined to maneuver to New York Metropolis to go all-in and to go full-time and to see what else we might do and the way far we might construct.”
The app and web site extension, known as Phia, launched in April, with Kianni and Gates calling it a form of Google Flights for trend. The app now has greater than 300,000 downloads, they introduced they acquired funding from Kris Jenner, and Kianni and Gates have been on Alex Cooper’s “Name Her Daddy” podcast.
From class to Capitol Hill
Kianni is simply 24 however she’s no stranger to turning an concept right into a startup. Whereas a scholar at Thomas Jefferson Excessive Faculty for Science and Know-how, in Fairfax County, she participated in a starvation strike for local weather change consciousness at former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s workplace.
The protest landed her on the duvet of the varsity’s newsmagazine, which she mentioned was “one of many high 10 coolest issues to ever occur to me.” It is excessive reward from somebody who was included in “Forbes” 30 Underneath 30 record at age 20, sat on a U.N. youth local weather council and met Pope Francis.
Kianni continued her advocacy her senior yr of highschool, when she based Climate Cardinals, a nonprofit working to make climate change information accessible by translating articles into hundreds of languages.
When Kianni began the group, she requested highschool mates to assist her put collectively a web site and obtained a instructor to let her use a classroom to make calls throughout lunch and after faculty. Now, based on their web site, Local weather Cardinals has 16,000 volunteers throughout 134 international locations.
How Phia works and why to contemplate purchasing for secondhand garments
With Phia, Kianni pivoted to a different solution to defend the setting: selling sustainable clothes selections.
“We expect it is a actually superior solution to incentivize individuals to essentially align their incentives of each saving cash, which is the primary factor individuals care about, is individuals care about value, however then additionally incentivize them to consider how they are often extra sustainable of their consumption habits,” she mentioned.
Lisa Bergstrand, the founding father of sustainable trend consultancy Bergstrand, mentioned many individuals need to purchase sustainable clothes however don’t truly do it or don’t know what it takes for an merchandise to be sustainable.
“Individuals are requested like, ‘Would you pay extra for a extra sustainable garment?’ and most of the people say ‘sure,’ however then the numbers present that they really simply store no matter they suppose is the nicest,” she mentioned.
One of many best methods to make certain you’re procuring sustainably, Bergstrand mentioned, is just to purchase secondhand.
Whereas the app does present objects from some retailers that aren’t secondhand, Kianni mentioned it’s a manner for individuals to see how secondhand and sustainable procuring could possibly be higher for them price-wise.
Subsequent to strategies within the app, there are value markers that present what a secondhand merchandise prices in comparison with its value brand-new. There’s additionally a sliding vary that reveals how a lot the merchandise prices relative to different websites the place it’s bought, and to comparable objects.
“In virtually each case, there may be an incredible alternative to buy a less expensive secondhand choice or another that’s comparable, however finally, the company is as much as the shopper to make the choice that makes probably the most sense for them … It’s virtually at all times the higher deal to buy an merchandise secondhand,” Kianni mentioned.
Seeing that distinction within the context of value may assist prospects be extra conscious of the disadvantages of shopping for quick trend.
“So with the ability to perceive if I am shopping for like a $500 purse, what’s the value that it is promoting for on the resale market? Like to illustrate it is $400, that is 80% of its worth being held, whereas loads of quick trend items immediately lose their worth they usually’re promoting for pennies or {dollars} on the resale market, primarily as a result of it is lower-quality objects,” she mentioned.
Even should you do purchase garments brand-new, Bergstrand mentioned it is necessary to give attention to fundamentals.
“You should buy new additionally, however go for extra traditional clothes that you just suppose you’ll maintain for a very long time. After which for the extra stylish half, purchase secondhand after which attempt to resell it,” she mentioned.
Because the app has grown in reputation, Kianni mentioned she acquired DMs from individuals exhibiting her what they’ve purchased utilizing the app. Purchases have ranged from clothes and jewellery to even toaster ovens.
“Individuals are actually utilizing a product that we simply dreamed up once we have been in school,” she mentioned. “And now it is like an actual dwelling, respiratory factor that’s genuinely serving to individuals. So yeah, these are undoubtedly nonetheless pinch-me moments I’ve each single day.”
