Honest, not Perfect Ep 8: Ross Barry, Co-Founder, Reskinned

Ross Barry, co-founder of Reskinned, traces the brand's origin, the long-standing British knack for textile reuse, and the generational pivot toward planet-friend,'second-hand style

Honest, not Perfect Ep 8: The Circularity Revolution – Ross Barry, Co-Founder of Reskinned

In this episode of "Honest, not Perfect," Suzanne Ellingham and Jack Stratton dive into the booming world of pre-loved marketplaces with Ross Barry, co-founder of Reskinned. With over 25 years of experience in textile reuse and recycling, Ross explains why the shift toward circularity isn't just a trend—it's a fundamental change in how we value fashion.

A Legacy of Reuse: From the Docks to Digital

Ross’s journey in recycling is a family legacy. He shares the fascinating history of his grandfather’s textile waste business in the East London docks and how the industry has evolved from jumble sales to tech-driven marketplaces.

• The "Ragman" Era: How the UK’s unique charity sector and "rag and bone" men built an early foundation for a 30% textile reuse rate. [04:45]

• The Blockbuster to Netflix Moment: Ross realized the traditional physical recycling industry was being disrupted by tech, leading to the creation of Reskinned in 2019. [07:43]

Why Circularity is the New "Approved Pre-Owned"

Ross uses a brilliant analogy: just as Audi or BMW transformed the perception of secondhand cars into "pre-approved" high-value assets, fashion brands are now doing the same with clothing.

• The Second Bite of the Cherry: How brands benefit from profit-sharing and maintaining customer relationships through resale and trade-in programs. [21:48]

• Incentivizing Quality: If consumers know a garment has a 30-40% resale value, they are incentivized to invest in quality and durability over fast-fashion disposability. [21:34]

Scaling the Impossible: Repairs and Dead Stock

Reskinned doesn't just handle take-back; they are tackling the industry's "elephant in the room": dead stock.

• The Art of Triage: Dealing with "single SKUs" (individual unique items) is a logistical nightmare for traditional retail, but it's where Reskinned excels through expert triage and categorization. [27:42]

• Visible Repairs: Discover how repair programs—like the one with the brand Passenger—are turning "damaged" goods into unique, personalized fashion statements through visible mending. [27:11]

Key Insights from Ross:

• [06:17] Waste vs. Resource: Why we need to change our language—old clothes aren't waste; they are a resource someone else wants.

• [12:36] The Race to the Bottom: How brands like Shein have redefined the "bottom" of pricing, forcing other retailers to rethink their business models and emphasize brand values.

• [30:43] The French Influence: A discussion on how legislation (like in France) is beginning to mandate and subsidize repair services.

• [41:27] Rumplestiltskin Recycling: The magic of "fiber-to-fiber" recycling—taking old jumpers, shredding them, and recombing them into new yarn for an infinite resource loop.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '''' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '