Romanian start-up Dressingz raises 300.000 euro in the first pre-seed financing

Romanian start-up Dressingz raised Euro 300.000 in its first pre-seed financing round and will go for a second round before the end of the year, aiming to expand on the European market. The platform is structured as a social marketplace for second-hand luxury, where people interested in fashion can shop & sell securely authentic pre-owned fashion.

Dressingz ‘s founders are Romina Tazlaoanu, who had the role of Head of Brand and Convergence at Vodafone, with over 20 years of experience in marketing and branding and Alexandru Andries, co-founder Car-Rush, EuCeMananc (now Tazz by Emag), TaxaTimbru, MyJustice and EzStick.

Dressingz offers to its users the opportunity to sell the clothes they don’t wear anymore, and cash-in fast and easy. At the same time, for the fashion-treasure hunters, it offers the chance to access pre-owned luxury fashion, that is authenticated by top experts and sold with up to 80% discount from the retail price. A good thing for the users, but also a great thing for our planet, if we look at the bigger picture.

The fashion industry is in the top 3 most polluting industries around the globe, due to waste and harmful production processes and it is responsible for 10% of gas emissions globally, more than aviation and maritime transportation altogether, according to European Parliament Research Service 2017, UN 2018.

This sad statistic has fueled the ambition to start this business and join the circular fashion trend. This trend is blooming in other markets, where pre-owned luxury is the new normal, as it is both planet and budget-friendly.

Romina Tazlaoanu, Dressingz Founder:

“Even if we are so in love with fashion, we need to acknowledge the impact this industry is having on the environment and the huge waste it produces. 50% of the fast-fashion production is thrown away in less than 1 year. The equivalent of one truck full of textiles is landfilled or burnt every second, in the world! (Ellen McArthur Foundation). In this context, fashion circularity becomes the future. We want to educate our consumers to buy less but buy better, invest in quality items that will last longer, choose premium pre-owned fashion – because luxury fashion deserves a second life and our planet deserves a second chance”.

The company’s responsible mission is reflected in the day-to-day modus operandi, through its core business, but also in the long run, by its commitment to donate 10% of the profits to environmental causes. Equally, the company promises to stay socially aware and develop projects with social components (for example, the RELOVED by YOU famous dressings pop-up event, organized in Bucharest last month, where 30% of the revenues were donated to Crucea Rosie to support Ukrainian people).

The best dressed people in Romania already created their accounts on Dressingz and are offering some of their most exclusive pieces for sale, joining the other hundreds of users and their private dressings. You can search through Mirela Bucovicean, Cristina Craciun, Alexandru Abagiu, Silvia Cristescu, Maria Marinescu or Ovidiu Buta’s wardrobes, Ovidiu also being the styling consultant of Dressingz .

The process of selling or shopping is very simple, completely digitalized and 100% secured. Any user can submit an item for sale on the platform or through the APP, with just a few clicks, by accessing www.dressingz.com or Dressingz app (available on both Google Play and Apple Store). They fill in a quick & intuitive article form, upload pictures (taken with the smartphone), fill in the price and it’s ready to go. Oh, one important detail: before appearing on the site, the item is verified by Dressingz experts, specialized in luxury authentication, based on the photos submitted. When an item is sold, it can also go through a physical check & authentication, before getting in the hands of the buyer.

Buyers can make offers, the sellers can accept, reject or counter offer, with just a click. When the item is sold, the seller receives the free shipping label (AWB), which can be downloaded with a click, from his account. The courier comes to pick up the package and the seller gets the money in a maximum of 5 working days after the item is delivered.

All the products that are being uploaded onto the platform are meticulously checked by a team of specialists with vast experience in luxury brands. Furthermore, Dressingz has partnered up with Luxury Appraisal & Authentication, a US based company that further verifies the authenticity of the uploaded products.

After only two months of activity, Dressingz already gathered a community of hundreds of responsible fashion lovers, reconfirming that Romanian consumers appreciate quality fashion and are sensitive about sustainability causes.