Resilient Fashion: Luxury, Vintage and Tech Thrive Amid Softer Demand and Discounting

Global fashion is ending the year in a mixed but surprisingly resilient position, with growth pockets in luxury, vintage and fashion tech offsetting weaker export demand and heavy discounting in mass retail.[1][4][9]

In trade, US textile and apparel exports from January through September 2025 fell 3.6 percent year over year to 16.73 billion dollars, as brands face softer global demand and tougher price competition, especially from Asia.[9] This confirms a continuation of 2024’s slowdown in volume, but with steeper discounting now visible in holiday promotions such as US mall chains offering 25 to 50 percent off seasonal collections to clear inventory.[6]

Consumer behavior is shifting toward value, sustainability and resale. A new forecast on the vintage fashion market released this week projects “unprecedented growth” from 2025 to 2032, driven by digital resale platforms like ThredUp, Depop, Poshmark, The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective, as younger shoppers trade fast fashion for pre owned pieces and price conscious experimentation.[1] This accelerates trends already visible last year but now backed by larger investment and clearer regulation around online marketplaces.[1]

Investment is increasingly targeting fashion technology and direct to consumer brands. In 2025, Los Angeles alone has seen about 1.2 billion dollars in fashion and retail tech deals, with money flowing into resale platforms, wholesale marketplaces and supply chain technology for brands like Reformation, Good American and SKIMS.[4] Average seed rounds around 3.5 million dollars are higher than several competing US hubs, underscoring investor belief that data driven merchandising and supply chain visibility are key to navigating current volatility.[4]

Industry leaders are adapting with financial discipline and diversified categories. H and M has just reported ongoing share buybacks under a 1 billion Swedish krona program running through late January 2026, signaling confidence in its long term strategy despite margin pressure.[10] At the brand level, Kendra Scott reports about 30 percent sales growth in 2024 and nineteen consecutive quarters of revenue gains; for 2025, growth remains positive though slower, supported by expansion into eyewear and cowboy boots and by partnerships like its recent holiday activation with beauty brand Jones Road, which helped drive a 95 percent ecommerce sell through on featured products.[2]

Compared with late 2024, today’s fashion landscape shows more cautious consumers, softer exports and heavier promotions, but also a faster build out of resale, vintage and fashion tech as brands race to protect margins, manage inventory and meet more climate and value conscious shoppers.[1][4][9][11]

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI