The Clare Richardson x Madewell Collaboration You Need to See

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Clare Richardson recently experienced the closest thing a non-musician can get to being on tour. “We were in a different state every day,” she says of crisscrossing the country to celebrate the collaboration between Reluxe Fashion, her luxury resale platform, and Madewell. In cities from Austin to Washington, D.C., Richardson brought her discerning eye—she has styled editorial shoots with Jennifer Aniston and Margot Robbie, along with our recent ELLE cover story with Daisy Edgar-Jones—to the public, counseling women on how to pair her vintage finds with the brand’s denim styles. “It’s my happy place,” she says of the store’s dressing room. “I’m not very good at sitting still. I like to be styling.”

a blonde woman posing in a blazer and jeans — Stylist Clare Richardson. Dan Martensen

Richardson has been a vintage devotee since her university days at Central Saint Martins, when she trawled Portobello Road Market for rare pieces. She still primarily shops secondhand, save for a few investment pieces; the practice is “an extension of my values.” But as she got busier and had a family, the thrill of the hunt faded a little. “Suddenly I was like, ‘I don’t want to be wading through tons of stuff, or it starts to feel like being fire-hosed with product.’” That gave her the idea to create a curated site that had “an editorial aspect to it, an expertise where it feels like you’re shopping new.” She also wanted to lift what she calls “the taboo of secondhand clothes.” Even her celebrity friends are all in: When she put a vintage Chanel jacket from Reluxe Fashion on Aniston for a shoot, she remembers, “it was one of her favorite looks.”

fashion model showcasing a lace blouse and wideleg jeans — Cameron Russell stars in the campaign for the collaboration. Dan Martensen

Richardson learned from the data on the recent Madewell drops that jackets, bags, and belts were the top-performing categories. “The more we got to know the customer, the more we fed into that with these drops—whether it’s online or on the ground, meeting people and learning what they like.” She has helped women drill down on their personal style, an ever-more-elusive concept despite that fire hose of options we’re exposed to. “On social media, the noise is so overwhelming, it’s almost too much,” she says.

a person wearing a cropped knitted sweater and highwaisted jeans — Dan Martensen

She made sure to offer pieces in a range of sizes to offset the well-known inclusivity problems in the vintage space. “It can be really hard. I completely acknowledge that,” she says. “But when we’re sourcing, we try to bear that in mind.” Because Madewell offers its denim in a wide array of sizes, “it felt like it all fitted together, that we’re [both] mindful of this situation.” It was also important for Richardson that a true commitment to slow fashion be at the heart of the collaboration. She remembers asking the higher-ups, “‘Can we not just play at this?’ Because so many companies will announce a token, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ and they shout about it, and then they haven’t done anything for a year. To have a brand as big as Madewell with this commitment, it’s huge that they’re giving this space and airtime.” Adds Laura Michael, the company’s head of brand marketing and creative, “Reluxe and Clare share our dedication to incredible quality, style, and circularity. Our partnership is an ideal representation of that philosophy, bringing together the effortless sensibility of Madewell and the curated luxury of Reluxe.”

a model showcasing a casual outfit with layered clothing and a handbag — Dan Martensen

The latest drop, out today, will include pieces like airy lace blouses and suede tassel coats that pair well with denim. (The campaign star is her friend and fellow sustainable fashion advocate Cameron Russell.) And Richardson will be back in the trenches, lending her styling talents to the public. She doesn’t find it too different from her day job outfitting A-listers. “Everybody has their hang-ups, their confidence, their questions.” Her number one piece of advice, wherever you are on the call sheet? “Show more skin,” she says, gesturing at her high-necked, fawn-colored sweater, “…she says, with a jumper up to here! But I’m like, ‘You are gorgeous. Undo that button on your shirt—one more. Celebrate you.’