REWIRING SPACE AT SELFRIDGES

Curated past season stock, prototypes, archive and show pieces, to be sold from 20+ small, global, independent brands – with all proceeds going directly back to the designers.

Inspired by the Rewiring Fashion manifesto facilitated by The Business of Fashion, Selfridges will open the Rewiring Space in the Designer Studio, Oxford Street on 3 December 2020 for six weeks.

The Rewiring Space is the first outlier born from conversations between the group of designers, CEOs and retail executives brought together to rethink how the fashion industry could and should work in the future, prompted by the global impact of the Covid -19 Pandemic. The Rewiring Fashion manifesto was created with 64 founding signatories.

The space will represent current and past season menswear, womenswear and accessories from brands including Christopher Kane, Neil Barrett, Erdem, 16Arlington and with prices up to 70% less than the original retail. The founder of each brand has been part of the ongoing Rewiring Fashion digital gatherings – a forum for open dialogue, idea sharing and collaborative opportunities between fashion voices from around the world.

Founding signatory, Stefano Martinetto, Chief Executive of Tomorrow Ltd who support brands including A-Cold-Wall*, Maisie Wilen and Coperni, has been instrumental in the delivery of the Rewiring Space project at Selfridges. Additional independent labels have been invited to participate in the project by the Selfridges buying team.

For Selfridges, the Rewiring Space is a natural next step as the shop continues in its commitment to embedding circularity into the business with new retail models. This is in alignment with Selfridges agreement to reset and think differently – as signatory of Dries van Noten’s Open Forum Letter and the Rewiring Fashion manifesto itself – as well as with the delivery of the retailer’s transformative Project Earth sustainability plan. 

The Rewiring Space is part of the RESELLFRIDGES initiative, a permanent in-store and online Resale offer to provide new ways to shop (and sell) pre-loved, vintage, collectable and archive products. RESELLFRIDGES combines Selfridges sustainability commitments with a curation of rare and unusual products across price point and era.

The Rewiring Space will celebrate the distinct identity of small brands outside of the traditional parameters of season. With proceeds going directly back to the designers, the project addresses practical issues of stock management and cashflow, significantly exacerbated by the current climate, while also offering customers a unique product mix and retail environment.

“The purpose of the Rewiring Space is to change perceptions of newness and seasonality, while we rethink what our own calendar will look like in the future. Supporting small, independent partners has never been more important and by working together with industry leaders we can tackle real issues with both transparency and creativity.” says Selfridges Executive Buying Director, Sebastian Manes.

Stefano Martinetto, CEO of Tomorrow said: “We welcome the initiative and commitment from Selfridges to create such a significant dedicated space for the designers participating in Rewiring Fashion. This space offers an opportunity for customers of the brands to get access to prototypes, samples and unique one-off pieces that would not normally be available, allowing them to get closer to the pure creativity of these designers. Christmas will be a little different this year, and this is something different for the fans of these brands to look forward to.”