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Founder of pre-loved luxury platform, RECIETY, and a global fashion brand consultant with extensive experience at renowned luxury brands, Jessica Steuart-Hoyler joins us as a theUNDONE contributor.
Tell us a bit about yourself! Where did you grow up, what did you study (if at all), and what path — both professional and personal — brought you to where you are today?
Singapore was home for me until I was 15. Growing up in a transient city, the friends I made and the experiences I had there were formative. I finished school in Australia, and completed a BA Communications at UTS. Internships at RUSSH and Madison Magazine were the start of my love and appreciation for the fashion industry and I knew it was the path for me.
After three years working in fashion PR in Sydney, I moved to London. I was craving international experience and felt that to get further in my career I needed to be in London, NYC or Paris. As I hold a British passport my first choice was London. I focused on expanding and leveraging my network for exploration and referrals. At the time my dream company was Net-A-Porter, I was delighted to be offered an opportunity to work with them. I held a number of roles there from stylist to Merchandise Editor and finally Global Styling Editor leading teams across London and NYC. I learned so much during that time, I loved working closely with buying, editorial, merchandising and personal shopping - It also taught me valuable leadership skills.
My next role was with Burberry working as Director of Styling. I loved being immersed in the heritage of the fashion house while being a part of how it was being translated in a new direction. I worked across all brand touch points from campaigns to trunk shows, events and runway activity. Working closely with Riccardo Tisci, the Creative Director at the time, and incredibly talented stylists, art directors and photographers - I gained so much from working with stylists Katy England, Carlos Nazario and Joe McKenna.
Living in London and traveling around Europe is where my personal style evolved and my love of vintage and pre-loved fashion grew. Visiting vintage and consignment stores on the weekends, falling in love with unique pieces, and seeing how people express themselves through what they wear was a real inspiration.
Since moving back to Sydney, I’ve been consulting and styling for various fashion brands and running my luxury pre-loved and vintage store, RECIETY. I feel that my upbringing and my work in London, NYC and Australia has given me a global outlook which I really appreciate.
You’ve spent a good deal of your career visually leading some of the biggest fashion houses and e-tailers in the world. What ultimately made you press pause on that to consult, and eventually, launch your very own pre-loved fashion company, RECIETY?
Beginning to consult and launch RECIETY came at a pivotal time in my personal life. I had my son Fox in London, in 2020 when he was three months old, my husband, Fox and I visited my family in Sydney. Little did we know the world was on the brink of a global pandemic, and a short visit turned into an unexpected extended trip as travel restrictions tightened. My husband and I reassessed our priorities and eventually made the decision to say good-bye after 9 years and relocate to Sydney permanently.
I felt there was an opportunity to leverage my experience overseas and to start consulting for various fashion brands. Launching RECIETY feels like a deeply personal endeavor for me - it was an idea I had while living in London. After settling in Sydney, it finally felt like the right time. I wanted to bring together my luxury fashion experience with my love for pre-loved, vintage and a conscious way of consuming. RECIETY is an online store as well as a platform for inspiration, interviews, collaborations, and styling and care tips.
Education around conscious consumption is really important to me, I’m trying to make it approachable and accessible through the site, physical experiences and vintage curations for businesses; we are hosting a screening of the documentary ‘Fashion Reimagined’ this month, and hold physical pop-ups with like minded businesses (our next one is coming up at the end of May). I’m excited to continue the RECIETY journey and champion conscious fashion.
What do you find most interesting about the pre-loved and vintage space? Additionally, what are you seeing in the industry that we can learn from, who is doing it well and where do you think it’s going?
I love how each piece can tell a story and become part of your own personal expression, and how a piece of history can be translated in a new way.
I really love seeing different stores approach pre-loved and vintage in their own unique way. It's not just about selling clothes, it's about curating an experience and expressing a distinct point of view - how these stores put their own spin on things, through their curation, presentation, or the stories they share about the pieces. At RECIETY we like to include the story behind the pieces, such as a Comme des Garcons 1986 runway dress, bought by a fashion editor for her wedding after seeing it in person at the show, and getting it approved by Rei Kawakubo herself to get it delivered in time.
In the industry, there's a definite shift towards sustainability and conscious consumption. People are becoming more aware of the environmental and social impact of their fashion choices, and they're gravitating towards pre-loved and vintage as a way to shop more responsibly. It's about finding one-of-a-kind pieces as well as supporting a more sustainable way of consuming.
Resale platforms like eBay, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Depop and 1st Dibs have paved the way for this movement. They've made it easier than ever for people to buy and sell pre-loved items, and it's exciting to see how they're reshaping the fashion landscape.
With the recent news that CHANEL won a case against What Goes Around Comes Around, due to them selling their brand and counterfeit products that unfortunately can slip through the cracks, how do you see this impacting the broader re-sell landscape?
The CHANEL win against What Goes Around Comes Around highlights the need to protect brands integrity and ensure consumer trust in the resale landscape. No doubt there will be stricter rules and closer monitoring from both brands and resale businesses to keep counterfeit products out. It could lead to better collaboration between luxury brands and resale sites to tighten up authentication processes - more peace of mind for buyers and sellers. It also highlights the importance of professional authentication services, such as Entrupy and Luxury Authentication Australia.
I think the conversation around Digital Product Passports (DPP) is interesting - essentially a digital record of a product’s history, such as raw materials, where and how it’s made, warranty records, repairs and more. It is technology aiming to tackle counterfeit and the need for responsible transparent practices. It will be interesting to see how this progresses. Trust and transparency are key.
You also offer a rental service within RECIETY, what’s your view on how the rental industry is a positive option to explore for both customers and brands and also its potential drawbacks.
Rental provides access to luxury and high-end fashion at a fraction of the cost of buying a piece so it's a win-win for brands and customers. It also enables customers to experiment with fashion without the long-term commitment. At RECIETY, our rental pieces are all vintage or past season designer pieces (such as a vintage Junior Gaultier dress from the 90’s, or a Hermes S/S ‘20 leather runway dress), so there’s the opportunity to wear a piece of fashion history, which I think is so special.
Rental extends a garments lifespan, reduces it’s environmental footprint and minimises waste. For brands it allows them to reach a wider audience, generate extra revenue from excess inventory and take action towards sustainability and accessibility values.
Some retailers may feel that rental could take away from sales or devalue their brand, but I don’t think that’s the case - Furthermore, someone new to a brand may rent a piece then convert into a future purchasing customer.
The fashion landscape is ever evolving, and consumer behaviours are shifting; brands need to adapt - I believe rental plays a positive part in shaping the future of fashion consumption.
If someone was looking to create (or add to) their own capsule wardrobe, how would you suggest they do so in a responsible way?
What pieces hold their value over time? And what advice would you give to brands who are creating new products now so that the pieces they bring to the world have a better chance of being held onto for decades and become loved vintage items?
Timeless investment pieces like fine jewellery, luxury watches and handbags are made to last and retain their value, as do Burberry trench coats. Investing in rare, limited edition, and archive designer pieces can also pay off.
I see high quality, beautifully designed and timeless, versatile and sustainable pieces as future heirlooms. Taking proper care of items is key to ensure pieces will stand the test of time and retain their value.
Does your love for vintage clothing stem to other areas like furniture and how you design and decorate your home? How do these areas intersect for you?
I try to apply this to all aspects of my life, being really considered about what I bring into my world. From what I wear, to furniture, beauty products, books, my sons clothes and toys, etc. Considered consumption through good design and ethical, sustainable practices.
What are some of your favourite places to shop pre-loved that you would recommend?
What are some of the most special pre-loved pieces in your wardrobe?
A vintage brass evening bag with a long twisted rope strap and tassels - it was my mum’s and I remember it hanging on the wall like a piece of art when I was growing up. All my Celine by Phoebe Philo shoes and bags as I wear them so often, and a recent addition, a Junya Watanabe Comme des Garcons A/W 2005 jacket.
