Introducing: Joanna, our Brand Partnership Manager

Can you share a little about your journey as Brand Partnership Manager at Reskinned?

I’ve worked in the fashion industry for around ten years, beginning in merchandising before pivoting into trend forecasting and writing for brands including Matches, Hurr and most recently Burberry, where I led all storytelling on their sustainability initiatives.

Responsibility, in particular circularity, and relationship management have always been golden threads throughout my career so being Brand Partnership Manager at Reskinned really feels like the perfect combination!

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Saving items from landfill, hands down.

While consumer behaviour is changing and wearing pre-loved clothing is becoming the norm (which is fab!), the amount of new clothing being created and discarded is still astronomical, so helping to combat that problem head on is absolutely the most rewarding part of the job.

Can you walk us through a typical day?

A typical day starts with coffee, non-negotiable.

After that, I tackle the first emails of the day before ticking off some regular to-do list items that ensure all our brand partners are ticking along nicely and you’re able to buy pre-loved pieces for a steal. My calendar is always peppered with different brands and team calls, so every day is unique and that is something I love – it definitely keeps you on your toes!

What do you enjoy most about working at Reskinned?

I love being in the thick of it, in terms of driving positive change towards a circular economy in the fashion industry.

It may not be glamorous, but I get such a fire in my belly being surrounded by sacks of pre-loved and good-as-new clothing, ready for a second life and seeing tangible results from our collective hard work. We really are making change here and inspiring more and more brands to come along with us, which is so rewarding.

As well as all that, the Reskinned team are some of the best people I’ve ever worked with. The team’s passion, dedication and knowledge is quite humbling (and not to mention, they absolutely know how to have a good time!)

What are your top tips for shopping more sustainably?

Oh I could talk about this forever, but I’l narrow it down to my top three:

1. Make a ‘To Buy Wishlist’ – every time you want or need something, add it to the list then wait a week or so. If you come back and still want it, then do your research and buy it (ideally secondhand for extra sustainable points). Often we buy on impulse so shopping sustainably is all about being more mindful about your wants and needs.
2. Pre-loved first – get into the habit of searching pre-loved marketplaces like Reskinned and eBay as a first port of call. Not only are you helping the planet by keeping clothing in circulation, you will almost always find a bargain and something unique.
3. Buy once, buy better – buying new isn’t necessarily bad, and lots of us have different needs that sometimes mean choosing pre-loved for certain items isn’t doable. It’s all about making conscious purchases that respect the planet and the people on it as much as possible, and buying pieces that are made to last!

Joanna’s experience, passion and no-nonsense approach to circularity make her a brilliant addition to the Reskinned team. We’re so excited to have her helping build meaningful partnerships and pushing the fashion industry towards a more responsible future.

If you’d like to explore the pre-loved pieces made possible by our brand partnerships, you can shop them here. And if you fancy getting to know more of the team, check out our chat with Stephen, our Brand Partnership Executive.