Love Island is always fertile ground for fashion trends, with the contestants frequently wearing multiple outfits on every episode. But this season, these outfits will be different: They are going to be thrifted. The contestants in the reality TV show, back on TV next month, will be provided with an arsenal of secondhand items to wear, following an ITV partnership with eBay.
It is a significant change for Love Island. For the past three years, the fast-fashion firm I Saw It First which sells clothes for just PS2.80, has sponsored the show and supplied clothes and accessories to the contestants. But after critics from sustainability advocates criticised it for encouraging a throwaway approach to fashion, the show has changed its tactics.
The shift toward a secondary-hand look is consistent with the 16-to-34 demographic of Love Island. Research conducted by eBay shows those between 18 and 34 years of age had the highest average of used clothing in their wardrobe (22%), compared to just 12% of the 55+ crowd. Eighty per cent of Gen Z, those younger than 24, recently bought something used.