Love Island is coupling up with second-hand fashion

While contestants will also be allowed to wear their own clothes this series, show runners are encouraging them to pick pre-loved pieces from an exclusive eBay wardrobe, provided especially for the Love Island villa.

The show’s executive producer Mike Spencer announced on Thursday, ‘As a show, we strive to be a more eco-friendly production with more focus on ways in which we can visibly show this on screen’.

Love Island’s decision comes at a time when fast fashion is still booming, despite growing concerns amongst young consumers about how their shopping habits are impacting the planet.

Shein continues to rake in millions by luring customers with celebrity endorsements and targeted ads, numerous flash sales and a constant barrage of styles that keep up with the changing landscape of fashion – over 2000 new pieces are uploaded to the site over an average 30 day period.

The domination of fast fashion can at times feel insurmountable, with the wealth and pervasive online presence of these companies shaping vast portions of the retail market.

But Jemma Tadd, head of fashion buying at eBay, says Love Island’s influence over buying habits is can be utilised to shift consumer perceptions around second-hand clothes. She told the Guardian last week:

‘Love Island is a worldwide phenomenon, nobody can deny it […] it’s a really exciting opportunity for us to change the conversation around fashion. I really hope that is going to lead to meaningful change in the industry.’

The reality series is known for driving clothing sales at an exponential rate. Previous sponsor I Saw It First saw a 67% spike in sales and a 254% increase in Instagram followers when it was featured on Love Island in 2019.

Former contestants Molly-Mae Hague and Millie Court consistently sold out items of clothing when they wore them in the villa, proving that Love Island really does push the needle when it comes to fashion trends.

This eBay deal will undoubtedly change the way we engage with preloved clothes, particularly as the y2k trend, a nostalgic nod to late 90s and early 2000s fashion, has seen young people turn to platforms like eBay and Depop to rework second hand clothes.

We can only thank the sustainable fashion gods for Love Island’s decision to partner with a re-sale platform, rather than giving a brand like BooHoo the space to sell more cheap outfits. This would undoubtedly have given fast fashion a chance to tap into current vintage trends that, by definition, close them off to young customers.

It’s an unbelievably big step, one that will help reduce the stigma that remains around second-hand clothing.

Those entering the villa this summer will quickly become the apple of the nation’s eye. Encouraging them to a repeat outfits is a powerful statement, one that unpicks Instagram’s relationship to fast-fashion, two spaces that have propelled Love Island to international success.

Social media is constantly encouraging us to buy new clothes and curate polished, ever-changing versions of ourselves. With the rise of the fashion influencer, this narrative has only grown more powerful.

We can only hope Love Island’s relationship with pre-worn clothing continues beyond the final. Who knows, maybe the winner will go on to partner with a re-sale site. It would certainly be a significant step toward dumping fast fashion for good.