BuyMyWardrobe official launch party at Vanilla

Last night we attended the stunning event celebrating BuyMyWardrobe’s official launch into the real world of fashion… and what an evening it was! Champagne on the door of one of London’s most exclusive venues followed by an open bar and canapés, then an evening brimming with genuine love and pride.  It was honestly stunning. The whole team was there and they grinned together in front of a photo montage screening of their previous events and successes while the website’s founder, Kal, gave a speech. The truly wonderful thing about the company as a whole is just how personal the experience of merely meeting everyone felt. The company started back in 2008 by designer Kal Di Paola, who initially just wanted to sell her own wardrobe.

“We’ve been doing events since February 2008. When I did the very first event I had no idea it would grow as big as this. The very first event I did was purely sell my own wardrobe and I roped in people I knew, then before I knew it I had 17 women ready to give up their Saturdays to come along. I realised then that there was something there, but I didn’t think I’d go on to do 16 events.” Kal started to really focus on the company initially as a sort of hobby while she was pregnant in 2009, “I ended up focusing on BuyMyWardrobe, unintentionally. I had plans to relaunch my label, but that just never happened; BuyMyWardrobe took over. I just thought, this has potential, I need to try and make it work.”

BuyMyWardrobe has one boutique, which resides above their offices in London at No 17 Seymour Place. “We wanted to have a base. We were lucky that we already had that connection with the community, so we wanted to be visible; we wanted people to be able to pop in and see us. The boutique is there seven days a week and we’ll always have the events. We just wanted to create something really trusted, so to do that you have to present yourself and be available. People need to know who it is behind the company, and who it is behind the wardrobe.” This level of trust really is part of what has set BuyMyWardrobe ahead of the rest. Each seller has an in-depth profile, and the profiles themselves are earned by invitation only. Customers know that by shopping here there is no chance of scamming or being scammed, as it is such a close knitted network, handpicked by the BuyMyWardrobe staff. Essentially, you have the security of knowing who you’re buying from. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve, a network of inspiring people who know their fashion.”

The rest of Kal’s team were just as down to earth as the woman herself. All had been sourced carefully via advertising and job interviews in April earlier this year, but conveniently they all get on like a house on fire. Alexandra Churton, BuyMyWardrobe’s PR extraordinaire was an absolute sweetheart and of course only had good things to say about not only the label, but also everyone involved. “It’s all grown so organically.” she said, beaming, “It’s great to be a part of, especially since Kal has been working tirelessly on it for about five years now.” She spoke animatedly about the company and how far it has come, especially in the past few months since Kal has had a slightly larger team behind her.

Vicky Metcalfe, BuyMyWardrobe’s marketplace manager, spends her days working with the website and organising all of the sellers. “She found her wardrobe overflowing a few years ago and this became her solution. Then last year, she realised it was worth turning into a business. She enjoyed it so much! The whole team is brand new; it’s really nice and we all get on so well.”

The event was a complete success. All of the guests were treated like royalty and there were a couple of cheeky celebrity sightings that sent the cameras flashing. Everybody there was having a good time and clearly supported the company in every sense. There were friends, family, and those who had showed up at some of the first of Kal’s events. It was certainly an evening loaded with satisfaction and respect for those daring few who had worked devilishly hard to make this all work so brilliantly.

So where do you see this all going?

Kal Di Paolo: Well, we’ve come so far, but we’ve got so far to go so… who knows?

To check out this fabulous website, simply click here and find yourself some pre-loved bargains!

Elizabeth Finney