Even if luxury brands are still trying to get their heads around the resale market — is it a competitor? A gateway to new consumers? Something else? — designer-loving shoppers don’t seem to need any help. 

The RealReal Inc.’s 2025 Resale Report, released Thursday, underscores just how important secondhand has become for many shoppers who are clearly looking at moment-to-moment developments in the fashion industry and turning to resale to buy or for context. 

Mark that as a signal of a rapidly changing industry and a world that’s maybe a little more mixed up than usual. 

“The instinct to value what lasts feels more relevant than ever,” said Rati Levesque, president and chief executive officer of The RealReal, in the report’s introduction. 

“In 2025, the world felt like it was shifting by the hour with economic instability and rising global tensions,” Levesque said. “AI blurred the
lines between real and synthetic. Trends were accelerated and flattened by social media.

“In response, shoppers rejected uniformity and instead wanted styles that felt real, unfiltered, and un-replicable,” she said. “Fashion ‘rules’ were irrelevant. The result is a moment in fashion not shaped by brands or trends, but by individuals expressing their personal style, opting out of the mainstream, and shopping with intention. Rather than being told what was ‘in,’ shoppers decided for themselves — and turned to the secondary market to do so.”

Here, a peek through resale’s lens on fashion.

1. The Resale Winners, According to The RealReal’s Data

Jonathan Anderson — who made the jump from Loewe to Dior — ranked as the buzziest creative director of the year on The RealReal, with new Loewe buyers growing 77 percent on the platform. 

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was picked as the Most Iconic Celebrity Fashion Moment, pushing searches for “Celine Flare Jeans” up 963 percent in 24 hours.

And the 2010s reigned as the favorite fashion era as searches for Hervé Léger bandage dresses rose 106 percent. 

2. The Resale Impact of All Those Designer Moves 

While luxury brands have sought to juice up their businesses with designer changes all over the place, there was an echo effect on The RealReal, where searches for on-the-move design stars skyrocketed. 

Searches for Loewe jumped 488 percent the day Johnathan Anderson’s departure was announced. 

And searches for “Demna” increased 310 percent in one day as the designer made his move from Balenciaga to Gucci. 

3. The Most Searched Brands

The big names are, for the most part, also the big winners when it comes to the most searched brands on The RealReal. Here, the brands resale shoppers are looking for the most, in order. 

1. Louis Vuitton

2. Chanel

3. Prada

4. Miu Miu

5. Gucci

6. Loewe

7. Bottega Veneta

8. Celine

9. Dior

10. The Row (tie)

10. Fendi (tie)

4. Closely Watched

The RealReal has seen a 46 percent increase in new watch buyers this year, with Rolex and Cartier leading the way. It is a trend that the resale report found is touching every generation, with each giving their own take on what time it is. According to The RealReal, the breakout is as follows:

5. Lived-in, Naturally

The one thing resale doesn’t have? New product.

And The RealReal sees that as a trend-right asset. 

“In an age of AI-powered LinkedIn portraits, fortysomethings with facelifts, and the increasingly rare site of natural teeth on the silver screen, there’s a status symbol in embracing the imperfection,” the report said. “Being hot in Hollywood without veneers? It’s a power play. The same thing applies to fashion: pieces with patina and wear are more in-demand than ever. Shoppers want proof of life.”

Sales of bags with some patina were up 45 percent this year on The RealReal, with increases in styles from Louis Vuitton (up 14 percent), Chanel (15 percent), Hermès (35 percent) and Balenciaga (22 percent).