In an era in which the fashion industry’s environmental impact is under increasingly intense scrutiny, a user-friendly online concierge service that lengthens the lifetime of your once-cherished, finely crafted designer pieces looks set to be onto a good thing.
‘Our mission,’ says founder James Harford- Tyrer, ‘is to take the time and hassle out of selling pre-loved luxury. Selling high-quality items shouldn’t be a burden – it should be a rewarding experience that is both convenient and enjoyable.’
Founded in 2017, Cudoni recognises and celebrates the way in which luxury clothes, handbags, jewellery and shoes are, more often than not, crafted to last. To add weight to this, consumers are currently thinking more actively and responsibly about minimising waste. With time itself considered a luxury – particularly for successful people with busy lifestyles – an imaginative and seamless way to declutter their wardrobes and homes is an attractive proposition.
Its name derives from one of its first customers and an avid fan of the service, Countess Antonella Cudone, who says, ‘I’m delighted to have seen it flourish’
Cudoni’s three-part promise encompasses convenience, simplicity and trust. The process – an effortless way, it says, for sellers to get started – begins online and is then backed up by a very human, 360-degree customer service that includes a brief phone consultation, home collections, item authentication, expert valuations and professional photography and packaging. It then utilises multiple selling channels, listing every item on a variety of international marketplaces, in the local languages where applicable. The rarest items are extended directly to its network of private buyers.
In just two years, Cudoni has built a core community of sellers and buyers who love fashion and fine craftsmanship, appreciating and trusting the brand’s smooth and transparent client journey. Cudoni’s name in fact derives from one of its first customers and an avid fan of the service, Countess Antonella Cudone, who says, ‘I’m delighted to have seen the Cudoni brand flourish. For me, it’s the ultimate service; James and the team have made selling pre-owned luxury so enjoyably simple.’
The site carries an impressive roster of several hundred brand names, including such luxury classics as Prada, Cartier and Hermès (and yes, you can sell or buy a vintage Birkin if you’re lucky).
Welcoming 2020, Cudoni is underlining its credentials as a business that fosters awareness of environmental impact. ‘Enabling designer classics to pass through more than one pair of hands is rewarding for both the seller and the environment; continuing to be as sustainably progressive as possible is a goal we consistently pursue, and this will remain a focus for 2020,’ says Harford-Tyrer.
With its insider knowledge and spirited dedication to fashion, the Cudoni team recognises that, historically, the start of a new decade is generally a defining moment for the industry’s design visionaries and skilled artisan-creators.
So while the Cudoni service, by definition, celebrates the influential and revolutionary designers of the past, it is also looking forward to seeing new creations from those emerging designers who will play a prominent role in shaping the coming decade of fashion.
