INTRODUCING: GRACE, OUR JUNIOR BRAND PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

Can you share a little about your journey to becoming the Junior Brand Partnership Manager for Reskinned?

My journey began studying Business and Sustainability at the University of Leeds, which provided me with a deep understanding of the environmental issues we’re facing and how we can work towards combating them from a business perspective.

Wherever possible I tailored my work to sustainable fashion, which led to my first role at Nobody’s Child before I set off to travel Central America. This experience was incredible and allowed me to see the beauty of the natural world, yet also the first hand impacts of climate change. It brought everything I had learnt academically into a physical setting and essentially re-ignited my passion for sustainability.

I knew I wanted to come back and work in the pre-loved space as this was the area of sustainable fashion that I resonated with the most. So when I saw the role advertised on LinkedIn, I was immediately drawn to it. I felt inspired by the Reskinned mission of keeping clothes in circulation and giving pre-loved clothing a new home or purpose.

And here we are! A year and a half later.

What do you enjoy most about working at Reskinned?

The thing I enjoy most about working at Reskinned is working alongside like-minded people. It’s empowering to work within a team where we all share the same goal of doing meaningful work to incite positive change in the fashion industry.

I never get the Sunday scaries because I love what I do and the people I do it with - the relationships I’ve formed with my colleagues span beyond the office (and often to our local, the Griffin!).

A similar thing applies to the relationships I’ve formed with the teams we work with at our brand partners. We share a common objective to run successful programmes so I thoroughly enjoy supporting them in doing so. Day to day, I enjoy the fast-paced nature of Reskinned and the variety it brings to my role. That’s the beauty of working in a small team start-up. I’ve really been able to try out and support lots of different aspects of the business, which at this point in my career is great for figuring out what I like and what I’m good at.

Working at Reskinned has enabled me to work within a business whose mission I stand behind and be part of a bigger movement. For a fashion and sustainability enthusiast, it’s pretty perfect!

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

To me, fashion is a form of self-expression, it’s empowering, and so is doing right by people and the planet; a synergy I’m able to embody in my work here at Reskinned. Playing a part in providing a service that supports both clothing brands in their efforts to be more circular, and a solution for customers to do the right thing with their unwanted clothes is definitely the most rewarding overarching aspect. It feels like a win win.

I particularly love the fact that we’re enabling people to purchase items from brands they may not have been able to afford full price. In my particular role, I find the whole process of initial conversations with a brand to seeing them launch the most rewarding part. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes, so you definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when all the work comes to life and the brand goes live. Especially when it’s met with positive feedback and customer engagement, in both aspects of the programme - whether that’s seeing the takebacks flowing in and/or the sales flowing out.

All in all, it’s great to be part of the operation that encourages customers to trade in pieces they may have fallen out of love with, and we’re able to ensure they end up in the wardrobe of another individual who's going to love them all over again.

Can you walk us through your typical day?

Everyday is different and literally no two days are the same! I catch up with our brand partners on a bi-weekly basis so it’s likely I’ll have a couple of calls. We touch base on how the programme is going, strategise ways we can continue to make it grow and plan in for upcoming activations.

If we have a new brand launching soon, you could find me setting up their page and liaising with the marketing team on the launch plan. For those already on board, I may be pulling reports to share back with them, analysing numbers or briefing the warehouse team on what to include in the next drop.

Aside from that, there are a few bigger projects I’m currently working on, such as building an internal sales report with our data scientist or assessing the impact of our new machine learning pricing tool. I’ve also been working with our web dev team on our automated listing flow for the best part of the last year and there’s a lot of work that goes into setting up a brand so the warehouse team can list in this more efficient way.

All of these projects are really eye opening to the work that underpins processes within a business. I will never look at a report without thinking about all the dots that have been connected to then present the data in a user friendly way! These projects don’t come without their obstacles but there is something very fulfilling about working together as a team to figure it all out and find the best solution.

What’s your top tip for shopping more sustainably?

Slow down. To me shopping more sustainably is shopping more consciously. Take your time and ask yourself questions before you make your purchase: Do you really need it? Do you love it? Will you wear it often?

Think about the journey an item of clothing has been on before ending up in your wardrobe; talented people have taken time to make it, and resources have been used to produce it. It will make you value your clothes and shift your mindset away from deeming clothes as disposable. With that being said, shop pre-loved wherever possible to give items that are already in existence a second shot at life. You’re enabling them to live on and there’s something really beautiful about that.

Buy pieces because you truly love them and not just because they’re trending. Try not to purchase poor quality, cheap pieces, especially just for one off events. Instead, invest in high-quality pieces that you love and that will last.

What is your best tip for decluttering your wardrobe?

Pull it all out, sift through it and ask yourself some questions - does it still work with your vibe? How often have you worn it? When did you last wear it? Does your best friend always ask to borrow it and would it be better suited to them.

Without Grace’s dedication and expertise in onboarding new brands to our pre-loved platform, we wouldn't be able to fulfil our mission of promoting sustainability within the fashion industry.

We're proud to have Grace as part of our journey towards a more sustainable future. Her dedication and enthusiasm serve as an inspiration to us all, and we're grateful for her contributions to our mission.

Thank you, Grace, for your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to promoting sustainability. Together, we're making a difference one partnership at a time!

Here at Reskinned we want to highlight the great work that’s happening behind the scenes and celebrate the people who make us who we are today. Send us a DM with what insider insights interview you’d like to see next!

Shop pre-loved clothes, shoes and accessories here, and if you fancy reading about another of our team members, then you can have a read of our chat with Deron, our customer service hero.