The $89 billion fashion market in the Middle East could soon be facing a major disruption, with OSKELLY – the fast-rising East European fashion resale platform – gearing up for a big-bang entry into the UAE with plans to rewrite the luxury fashion resale sector in the region by de-stigmatising the notion of “pre-used” by transforming it into “pre-loved”.
The company will partner with local influencers to launch a public awareness drive to promote the transformation – and also to make a difference at every level – “from our wardrobes to the world in which we live”.
“We want to promote the idea of affordable and sustainable fashion in the Middle East by changing customer habits in the fashion market by breaking the stigma of resale of pre-owned items,” Albert Oskanov, CEO and co-founder of OSKELLY, told Arabian Business.
“The company will encourage customers to de-clutter their wardrobes and promote clothing reuse, aligning with the UAE’s sustainability agenda,” he said.
Oskanov said OSKELLY will introduce an omnichannel fashion wardrobe ecosystem for luxury resale in the MENA region, with new digital and AI solutions for the Emirati users.
The company plans an initial investment of $1 million for its expansion into the region, as also to further digitalise the Middle East fashion market.
The platform’s resale multifunctional app offers free services for users to sell and buy pre-owned luxury goods, facilitating the unloading of wardrobe items that are not needed.
OSKELLY differentiates itself from other resale platforms by promoting unique app functions, such as social tools that allow users to interact with each other, bid on items, and share their collections.
OSKELLY app to offer a complete digital ecosystem
Oskanov said the OSKELLY app is a complete digital ecosystem where customers can buy and sell their luxury items with ease.
“The platform builds an international community of fashionistas, allowing every client to find like-minded people and their customers.”
To prevent the sale of fakes, the platform developed offline expert authenticity checking of every selling luxury goods on the platform.
“The company has built its own in-house team of experts to control the quality, authenticity, and condition of luxury goods: each item first passes a visual check when uploading to the app, and then OSKELLY’s expert 2-steps control before being delivered to the customer,” the company co-founder said.
Further, the company’s app also offers a concierge service to serve those who want to access exclusive, limited collections directly from designer brands and luxury fashion boutiques.
“The OSKELLY office serves as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer,” he added.
Oskanov said the platform follows a strict quality control system to carry out authenticity checks on every item.
“Once the item passes these checks, the platform issues an authenticity certificate to assure its users that the item is 100 percent original,” he said.
Once certified, items undergo pre-sale preparation, including steaming and minimal restoration, before the goods are ready for delivery in branded packaging.
Crafting a fashion community
Founded in 2017 by siblings Albert Oskanov and Zaira Keligova, the OSKELLY story is much more than just commercial success.
“It’s about our mission to create a community-driven fashion ecosystem, which we want to repeat in the Middle East as well.
“We’re here to rewrite the luxury fashion resale story, and we’re driven by a genuine desire to make a difference at every level – from our wardrobes to the world in which we live,” Oskanov said.
He said by harnessing the power of AI technology, the resale platform will connect like-minded individuals and foster “conscious shopping”.
But Zaira Keligova, co-founder of OSKELLY, said beyond conscious shopping, the company also wants to position itself as a warehouse of unique and rare luxury items not found in new collections.
“We are transforming sustainable fashion into a fresh and exciting trend by not only making luxury item resale affordable but also changing the mindset around it,” Keligova told Arabian Business.
She said the company will rope in popular local influencers to raise public awareness and de-stigmatise the notion of “pre-used” to transform it into “pre-loved”.
As for its plans to foster a vibrant community centered on conscious shopping, Keligova said many social tools are already available on the platform for it.
“We have plans for more in our operations – we are constantly collecting and analysing data on customer behavior, interactions, and feedback to enhance and improve our product.”
OSKELLY said it currently has a European user base of over 500,000 and a portfolio of more than 3,000 luxury brands.
The platform hosted over 100,000 successful transactions between buyers and sellers in just over a 12-month period.
The OSKELLY co-founders said the Middle East fashion industry market, estimated at $89 billion by the business of fashion, offers immense potential to the company to disrupt and grow it to the next level.
“The time for a disruptor like OSKELLY is now, and we’re here to seize the opportunity,” they said.
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