From eBay to Runway: Sustainability as Fetish

I’ve been thinking a lot about fetish lately. Not that kind of fetish. I mean the way we assign this weird, almost magical energy to things — especially in culture and fashion. Marx talked about commodity fetishism: when stuff starts to feel way more valuable than what it actually took to produce. We stop seeing the labor behind it and start seeing the object as powerful on its own. Desired. Obsessed over. A stand-in for something greater.

Kind of like how, after the Trump tariffs were introduced, the manufacturers of Hermès Birkins in China ran ads showing that you could get the same bag for a fraction of the price. At a certain point, you’re not paying for the leather. You’re fetishizing the logo.

And I think we’re seeing something similar unfold with sustainable fashion.

Second-hand clothing is going through a glow-up. It’s no longer just about saving money or being eco-friendly (though those are great reasons). It’s becoming aspirational. A little fetish-y. A luxury experience in its own right.

This shift is happening in real-time. eBay, for example, has been leaning into partnerships with celebrities like Wisdom Kaye, Emma Chamberlain, Madelyn Cline, Love Island UK stars, and more.

One marketing activation I loved: I tuned into Wisdom Kaye’s Twitch livestream, where he hosted trivia games with fans. Whoever answered fastest got to spin a prize wheel for cash they could spend on eBay. Brilliant. The partnership promoted Kaye’s Twitch channel and encouraged people to explore eBay for vintage finds. It also highlighted a core truth: what you love probably already exists on eBay. Did I also give hours of my life trying to win a piece? Yes. Did I? No… ):

Photo Credits: INDIGITAL/eBay

Kaye also styled Endless Runway, eBay’s first second-hand, shoppable-live runway show at New York Fashion Week. A sister show in London, styled by eBay’s Pre-Loved Style Director Amy Bannerman, celebrated 40 years of London Fashion Week with looks pulled from decades of fashion archives too. The partnership made perfect sense: eBay started working with creators like Kaye, who built his following by shooting fashion editorials on an iPhone. His journey, from TikTok to celebrity styling, makes second-hand fashion feel both ambitious and grounded.

And Wisdom is no exception. Emma Chamberlain’s arc is another great example. On her podcast Anything Goes, she talks about the pressure she felt in high school to always wear new outfits, even if it meant buying knockoffs or hunting for cheap clothes online. In episodes like “outfit repeating” (May 28, 2023) and “embarrassing things i did in high school” (July 16, 2023), she reflects on how this pressure led her to thrifting, as a way to keep up with her peers on a limited budget.

Now she’s a repeat Met Gala guest and a style authority whose looks predict the mainstream. On her podcast, Emma has also talked about watching runway shows for everyday fashion inspiration. "Low" culture informs "high" culture, only for it to trickle back down again, and vice versa.

Photo Credits: Emma Chamberlain for Anything Goes

It’s a cyclical flow, which makes the differentiation between high and low fashion largely an illusion. This is also where I keep coming back to the idea of commodity fetish.

Now she’s a repeat Met Gala guest and a style authority whose looks predict the mainstream. On her podcast, Emma has also talked about watching runway shows for everyday fashion inspiration. "Low" culture informs "high" culture, only for it to trickle back down again, and vice versa. It’s a cyclical flow, which makes the differentiation between high and low fashion largely an illusion. This is also where I keep coming back to the idea of commodity fetish.

The value of an item is what someone is willing to pay for it, but also what it represents. That’s the irrational part. Overinvestment. Desire. Obsession. We’ve all felt it.

Think about wearing a vintage archival piece to the Met Gala. Reverent. So chic. Now imagine having to wear the same dress to both your prom and graduation. Suddenly, it’s embarrassing. Not exactly Instagrammable now, is it?

This is why there was so much uproar when Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s dress in 2022. It wasn’t just about potential damage to a 60-year-old garment. It was about whether Kim was “worthy” of an object so culturally loaded. Marilyn is one of the most fetishized figures in pop culture. The dress became a stand-in for an entire mythology.

And in a different way, this kind of myth-building is happening with sustainable fashion.

What fascinates me most is how the language around second-hand has been evolving. Depending on who you are, “used clothes” or “hand-me-downs” might not feel like the right terms anymore. Now it’s “archival,” “pre-loved,” or “circular fashion.” The shift is subtle, but it changes how people engage with resale. It makes it feel elevated, intentional, even romantic. That is great marketing.

You can see this everywhere. Endless Runway was about presenting second-hand fashion as timeless and desirable.

Photo Credits: Stef Mitchell; Calligraphy: Maya Layne 

Or take Vogue’s Vintage Market, first hosted this past March, by Gigi Hadid in partnership with eBay. Vogue promotes it with the line: “Presented by eBay and curated by Vogue, we’re spotlighting dozens of vintage treasures, all of which have all left their mark in the zeitgeist—and which a lucky few can snag below.

From a J’Adore Dior tee to a Fendi baguette bag, there’s a little something for every fashion lover in this edit.” It’s a perfect example of how language can mythologize a space. It also shows how sustainability, which is inherently rooted in inclusivity and community, can be made to feel exclusionary and elite. I’ll give Vogue credit where it’s due though: 100% of proceeds went to those impacted by recent Los Angeles wildfires.  

Photo Credits: OK McCausland for Vogue Vintage Market

Of course, resale spaces have been fetishizing second-hand for years through flea markets, Depop, The RealReal, Grailed, and more. But it’s rarely the labor of curation that justifies the markup in price for these clothes. It’s the allure of brand recognition, trends, nostalgia, and the thrill of finding something rare. eBay’s recent moves, and with Vogue no less, feel like the next chapter. They’ve caught the wave and leaned in with precision.

But as the culture around resale evolves, so do the spaces themselves. At my local Goodwill, prices have crept up. Discount days aren’t as generous as they used to be. The customer base has shifted, and the store has adapted accordingly. Meanwhile, the Goodwill Bins have become the more affordable option, at least for now.

There’s usually tension here. It can be frustrating when local spots get crowded with trend-driven shoppers, and not everyone treats those spaces with respect. But ultimately, I think sustainable fashion should be for everyone. The more people who have access to it, the better. The important thing is making sure these spaces continue to exist and remain welcoming for all folks.

It’s an exciting shift. I love seeing more people embrace second-hand fashion as it enters its luxury era. But it’s also a good reminder that what we choose to value and why is rarely simple.

Sources

Marx, K. (1867). Capital: A critique of political economy, Volume 1. Hamburg: Otto Meissner Verlag.

Satenstein, L. (2024, September 5). At eBay’s Endless Runway, Wisdom Kaye Brings Pre‑Loved Into the Spotlight. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/at-ebays-endless-runway-pre-loved-takes-the-spotlight-with-wisdom-kaye

Chamberlain, E. (2023, May 28). outfit repeating [Audio podcast episode]. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3XTQ5AFQUtQ5dClsYvr9Qy?si=4NuvHXmmTyO1LFOS6yVidg&nd=1&dlsi=327fc1d3f7874af4

Chamberlain, E. (2023, July 16). embarrassing things i did in high school [Audio podcast episode]. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/26QK7E8fsiWqKmozpARdYy?si=d0VcfpMVR4iOaOdCI11uZg&nd=1&dlsi=b1c215fecbc54fd6

Chamberlain, E. (2020, May 5). fashion [Audio podcast episode]. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6j7FyIQoAM4aAVE1pZxmeI?si=ogYRog0QQX6rJEiBX_ClGg&nd=1

Ramzi, L. (2025, March 6). Attention vintage heads: The Vogue Vintage Market is coming!. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/vogue-vintage-market-announcement

Vogue. (n.d.). The Vintage Market. Vogue.https://www.vogue.com/shopping/vogue-vintage-market