Fashionphile’s 2025 Ultra-Luxury Resale Report captures a defining year in fashion, when luxury resale evolved into a form of rebellion, anchored in individuality, craftsmanship, and value.
Resale has outgrown its reputation as fashion’s afterlife. In 2025, according to Fashionphile’s Ultra-Luxury Resale Report, it became the story itself — a reflection of changing priorities, shifting aesthetics, and the steady redefinition of what luxury means. “In 2025, resale turned personal,” the company notes. “It was a rebellion, a rejection of fashion as consumption and a return to fashion as expression.”
The data illustrate how consumers used resale to assert individuality and hedge against economic uncertainty, investing in pieces that held both financial and emotional value. The U.S. luxury resale market reached an estimated $8.65 billion in 2024 and is forecast to exceed $13 billion by 2030. Globally, the category is expected to grow from $34.79 billion in 2024 to nearly $55 billion by 2029.
Television and pop culture fueled the shift. After The White Lotus aired, engagement with items featured in the series rose by 45 percent year over year. The global fascination with Formula One translated to a 49.6 percent increase in sales of racing-inspired styles. Collaborations between Gucci and Adidas and between Balenciaga and Adidas surged 277.4 percent.
“Resale is about connection,” CEO Ben Hemminger said. “Every handbag, bracelet, or pair of shoes has a story, and our job is to make it easy for people to find the ones that matter to them.”
Creative leadership changes proved equally catalytic. When Demna left Balenciaga for Gucci, sales of the Balenciaga Le City bag jumped five hundred twenty-five percent. Jonathan Anderson’s move from Loewe to Dior drove a 13.3 percent rise in searches for Loewe’s Puzzle Bag, and Celine’s appointment of Michael Rider sent Phantom bag searches up 576.4 percent.
While these cultural and corporate moments dictated short-term demand, long-term value gravitated toward heritage classics. The Louis Vuitton Speedy, Chanel Double Flap, and Gucci Marmont remained the most-purchased bags, joined by Dior’s Lady Dior and Hèrmes’s Evelyne. Across categories, crossbody silhouettes led sales — a blend of utility and luxury that continued to define modern spending habits. In jewelry, the Return to Tiffany Oval Tag Choker led the year, followed by Cartier’s Tank Française watch, confirming that sentimental investment pieces still anchor the market.
Texture and Influence
Texture replaced logos as the new language of status. Denim bags rose 23.5 percent in sales, suede searches increased 46.9 percent, and lamé purchases climbed 64.2 percent. Ballet flats and loafers gained renewed prominence, up 27 and 28 percent respectively, while Mary Janes and clogs surged more than 60 percent. Even smaller luxuries carried significance: searches for bag charms increased 85 percent, and demand for Twillies and bag straps grew by double digits.
Certain items transcended the category altogether. The Alaïa Le Teckel, Bottega Veneta Andiamo, and The Row Large N/S Park Tote — each understated and architectural — became 2025’s “It Bags,” gaining follow rates of 502, 304, and 445 percent, respectively. As Fashionphile’s report notes, these designs embodied the intersection of “quiet craftsmanship and digital desire.”
The report also identified aesthetic undercurrents shaping consumer behavior. “Fine & Dandy” captured the precision of superfine tailoring — follows for The Row’s Margaux rose 126 percent. “Baroque Ballerina” embodied romantic escapism: ballet flat sales rose 17.8 percent, searches climbed more than 30 percent, and lace accessories increased 14.3 percent. “The Call of the Siren,” a nautical revival led by raffia textures and bucket hats, saw the latter’s sales rise 62.5 percent. “Pretty in Punk,” characterized by distressed leather and metal hardware, brought the Balenciaga City Bag back to relevance with a 74 percent spike in searches.
By generation, preferences diverged but aligned on purpose. Gen Z favored the Hermès Sac Roulis and Louis Vuitton’s Pochette Metis. Millennials leaned toward Chanel’s Wallet on Chain and Louis Vuitton’s Speedy for reliability and resale value. Gen X gravitated to Goyard’s Saint Louis, while Baby Boomers remained loyal to Louis Vuitton’s Artsy and Empreinte Carryall. Across all demographics, Chanel’s Double Flap ranked as the most viewed item of the year.
2026 and beyond
Fashionphile’s forecast for 2026 suggests the pendulum will swing further toward tactility and material storytelling. Early search data show neutral bags up 200 percent, satin up 181 percent, vintage up 108 percent, metallic finishes up 65 percent, and heart-shaped bags up 60.4 percent. The company calls the coming year “a study in contrast — getting tactile with textures, loud with metal, and nostalgic with vintage finds.”
The report also chronicles Fashionphile’s own evolution as a brand. The company introduced its first Nicole Richie–curated collection, published The Book of Iconic Bags with Assouline, and launched the Fashionphile Atelier, a restoration and cleaning studio dedicated to product longevity. Its Investment Protection Collection debuted with the ReNew Handbag Cleaning Kit. Five new store openings, including the Los Angeles flagship and Union Square location, reinforced its presence in both digital and physical retail.
The report comes as Fashionphile has officially entered the U.K. market through its acquisition of Luxe Collective’s intellectual property, customer database, and social media channels. The move marks the company’s first major step into Europe and pairs Luxe Collective’s community-driven presence with Fashionphile’s scale, technology, and authentication expertise.
“This acquisition allows us to combine Luxe Collective’s cultural relevance and strong community with Fashionphile’s scale, technology, and authentication expertise,” Hemminger said in a statement. “The U.K. has a rich history of luxury resale, but no one is doing it our way at real scale. Together with Ben and Joe Gallagher, we intend to change that.”
Luxe Collective’s founders will join Fashionphile as leaders of the new division, guiding the rebrand of its social platforms into Fashionphile Collective and overseeing plans for a London flagship authentication center and retail store. “Luxe Collective has always been about more than resale,” said Sarah Davis, Founder and President of Fashionphile. “We could not be more thrilled to help bring a breath of life back into the essence of what Ben & Joe Gallagher started.”
Joe Gallagher, who will serve as Director of Operations, added, “Fashionphile shares our vision for what luxury resale in the U.K. can become.” Ben Gallagher, now Director of Brand Marketing, said that with Fashionphile, “we have the chance to bring that spirit to a global audience while staying true to the values that made our community so loyal from the start.”
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