First look: Pawnstar

Until recently, the Chinese appetite for the shiny, the new and the expensive has meant that even the mere notion of wearing second-hand clothing is a fashion faux-pas. But as economic tides turn, shoppers are beginning to change their habits – and suddenly, the prospect of having ‘something old’ hanging in your wardrobe doesn’t seem too shabby. As long as it’s still designer, of course.

Banking on this sustainable shift, Pawnstar have been selling second-hand designer goods through WeChat and Taobao for a few years. Owners Nels Frye and Jia Wenting have now open a proper bricks-and-mortar space, hoping to imitate the success of popular second-hand stores – known as ‘consignment shops’ – in the likes of New York City and London’s Portobello Market.

In a blog post earlier in the year, Frye explained that in China, ‘the traditional perspective is that these items are associated with dead people or foreigners dumping sometimes germ-ridden items’, referring to a scandal in Guangdong in the 1980s. He then adds that they are ‘trying to create something new for China and change people’s minds in the process’.

Located inside an attractive lane house-style apartment in the beautiful Clement Apartment complex off Fuxing Zhong, the store’s stock seems a perfect fit for its surroundings. Pawnstar relies on a mix of consigners (people who donate used items) and imports, and there’s an unbelievable range of labels on offer. Items from McQueen, Marc by Marc, Diane von Furstenberg, Helmut Lang, Givenchy, Alexander Wang, Prada – take your pick, really – are on the racks in seriously good nick.

The best bit, though, is the price tags. Where else in China are you going to get a Max Azaria dress for 249RMB, a Miu Miu denim jacket for 699RMB, or a pair of Sergio Rossi stilettos for 749RMB? Don’t say the fake market – this is the real deal. We even spotted a McQ t-shirt going for 30RMB. Cha-ching!

Womenswear predominates, although there is a nice selection of men’s shirts (smart, casual and Hawaiian) as well as a range of vintage, imported ties. Frye and Wenting are open to expand their menswear offerings as time goes on and the word spreads.

The other monumental impact of luxury consumption is, of course, environmental – the clothing industry is second only to oil as the largest polluter in the world. Hopefully signalling the start of a sea change in how the style-conscious think about fashion, Pawnstar isn’t just welcome, it’s necessary. We look forward to seeing what follows.

Pawnstar is at The Clement Apartments, Building 1, Apartment 104, 1363 Fuxing Lu, near Fenyang Lu, Xuhui district.