BSCC Tuesday Breakfast with…

On Valentines Day, we had the great pleasure of having breakfast with Hélène Hernmarck Olsson, former Secretary General of the BSCC, professional networker, an author and serial entrepreneur. Hélène is one of the longest active members of the Chamber and she has now just “re-joined” with her latest company; Still in Fashion, which is her focus right now. “It is fun to work with your passion!”

Hélène founded Still in Fashion www.stillinfashion.com almost two years ago. The market for pre-owned luxury goods is growing along with the focus on sustainability. As she says on her website: “In an era of sustainability and consciousness about our environment, reselling premium accessories hiding in your closets is one way of contributing”. We agree during the conversation that luxury accessories really are sustainable and a great investment. Look at the watch market, since long a good trading commodity. One of the slogans the company uses is “Your closet is a goldmine”.

Most of the exclusive designer brands have a good re-sale value, though Hermès, Chanel and Mulberry are very sought after bags with a high re-sale value as well as sell quickly once the are for sale at www.stillinfashion.com. Other brands that are sought after are Céline, Prada, Gucci, Bottega Veneta to name a few.

Hélène’s main focus is building the brand and creating trust. In three years, she would like to be the leading E-boutique platform for luxury accessories in the Nordics. Presently, her biggest competitors are the auctionhouses as well as some major European vintage platforms.

The biggest challenge is to get the goods in for re-selling. All accessories for sale at Stillinfashion.com have fixed prices and once an item is sold the company takes a 24% commission, which is a little less than average when benchmarking. The business idea is to “own the process”; from valuation, photographing, cataloguing, marketing to shipping the item once sold to the new customer. The seller then get her money transferred into her account. “It is like an exclusive E-boutique for pre-loved handbags and accessories” she explains.

Hélène is focusing a lot on social media and digital marketing, but concludes that printed advertising is the most effective for her business, although very expensive. Instagram: @still.in.fashion

At the moment Still in Fashion does not sell to the US and Canada because of the difficulty of customs and shipment outside the EU. The UK has a vast market for vintage, and depending on the result of Brexit, that market might not be possible for Still in Fashion in the future. “We will have to wait and see.”

For Valentines Day – who would not want a Chanel, Hermès or classic Mulberry vintage bag?!

On the question about what she thinks about United Spaces, Hélène says; This is perfect; perfect for you!