Ebay re-pairs with Love Island as the series’ fashion sponsor

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Last summer, reality show the island of lovethe head was turned. In a surprising move, the reality show has swapped its fast fashion sponsors – which previously included Missguided and I Saw It First – for second-hand platform Ebay.

Now, Ebay will return as the official sponsor of the ninth series, starting January 16. The winter edition of the island of love will push its sustainability credentials further, says Mike Spencer, creative director of the island of love at Lifted Entertainment. In addition to pre-loved items from stylist Amy Bannerman, contestants will have access to a shared wardrobe of items from Ebay’s Imperfects range – which sells imperfect clothes from over 100 brands – and pre-loved sneakers. loved ones that have passed Ebay’s Authenticity Guarantee, launched in July.

The reality show’s break from fast fashion was significant. Many of the show’s contestants become fast fashion ambassadors and Instagram influencers. The choice to forego fast fashion in favor of resale has drawn widespread praise, and Ebay says the partnership has had an impact on consumer habits in the UK. An ITV YouGov survey from August 2022, just after the end of the last series, found that 53% of the island of love viewers aware of the Ebay partnership had purchased something pre-liked in the past three months, more than double the amount for those who had not watched the show or were unaware of the partnership. Between May and November 2022, Ebay UK saw 1,600% more searches for “pre-liked clothes” than the previous year, and Google searches for the same phrase increased by 170%. Ebay says 24% more circular fashion businesses have joined its online marketplace since the partnership aired.

After Ebay’s first referral, the former the island of love Contestant Tasha Ghouri became Ebay’s first pre-loved ambassador, using her newfound social media fame to post about second-hand fashion, wearing Ebay finds to red carpet events and speaking on panels for the second-hand platform, hoping to steer consumers away from fast fashion. However, her peers weren’t so quick to ditch major partnerships with fast fashion brands: Round eight winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu signed a £1million deal with runner-up Oh Polly Gemma Owen received a six-figure sum from Pretty Little Thing, and Indiyah Polack became the face of Pretty Little Thing’s new resale market, widely hailed as a greenwashing stunt.

Ebay hopes the next series will spark a broader commitment to sustainable fashion, says Kirsty Keoghan, Ebay’s Global Managing Director of Fashion. “We’re so excited to continue this conversation and show the nation just how beautiful pre-loveds really can be.”

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