Vestiaire Collective, the giant French resale platform, recently appointed Rickie De Sole to its Board of Directors.
This appointment aligns with the company’s expansion plans in the U.S. and its goal of obtaining B Corporation certification. De Sole’s deep understanding of the industry and strong presence in the U.S. is expected to strengthen the French-born Vestiaire Collective’s presence in the U.S. market.
De Sole joined Nordstrom in January 2022 as Women’s Fashion and Editorial Director and continues to serve as the company’s VP Fashion Director. Prior to that, she spent 3.5 years at vogue.com as Executive Fashion Director and 4.6 years at W Magazine as Fashion Director. She has also worked in PR for Prada and served on the board of directors for Thom Browne and Rent The Runway.
Co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective Fanny Moizant said, “Rickie brings years of experience working at some of the most recognizable names in fashion. With her deep industry insights, Rickie will play an integral role on the board of Vestiaire Collective during a pivotal point in the company’s growth and will help accelerate our business not only in North America, but also globally. I am thrilled to have her join our board and our mission to reshape the fashion industry for a more sustainable future.”
De Sole also commented, “I see tremendous opportunity for me to support Vestaire Collective’s leadership team in driving brand awareness and accelerating its growth in the U.S.”
While there are many luxury resale platform competitors in the U.S., such as Fashionphile and The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective has implemented various strategies in recent years to strengthen its presence in the U.S. For example, the company has introduced 0% selling fees to the U.S. seller on its platform. They also launched a VIP concierge service in New York City and held celebrity-only closet sales for celebrities such as Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain.
The company has also established a new team in the U.S. with Samina Virk as CEO of North America in February 2023 to grow its U.S. operations. Virk is another individual with extensive experience owning P&Ls, building brands, and leading global teams across high-growth start-ups as well as established corporations.
In addition to Samina Wilk, CEO of North America, the appointment of De Sole has enabled Vestiere Collective to achieve its goal of ensuring the equal representation of women on its board of directors. As a result, 50% of the company’s board members are now women.