The Middle East’s expansive $89 billion fashion market is poised for a significant shake-up as OSKELLY, the rapidly emerging East European fashion resale platform, prepares for its entry into the UAE. With ambitious plans to redefine the luxury fashion resale sector in the region, OSKELLY aims to shift perceptions from “pre-used” to “pre-loved” through a strategic partnership with local influencers and a robust public awareness campaign.
Albert Oskanov, CEO and co-founder of OSKELLY, emphasized the company’s commitment to promoting affordable and sustainable fashion in the Middle East. By encouraging customers to embrace clothing reuse and declutter their wardrobes, OSKELLY aligns closely with the UAE’s sustainability agenda.
OSKELLY’s innovative approach includes the introduction of an omnichannel fashion wardrobe ecosystem for luxury resale in the MENA region, featuring cutting-edge digital and AI solutions tailored for Emirati users. To support its expansion efforts and enhance digitalization in the Middle East fashion market, the company plans an initial investment of $1 million.
At the heart of OSKELLY’s platform is a multifunctional app designed to facilitate the buying and selling of pre-owned luxury goods. Setting itself apart from other resale platforms, OSKELLY offers users unique features such as social tools for interaction, item bidding, and collection sharing, enhancing the overall user experience and fostering a vibrant fashion community.
The platform hosted over 100,000 successful transactions between buyers and sellers in just over 12 months
The OSKELLY app is poised to revolutionize the luxury fashion resale experience by offering a comprehensive digital ecosystem where customers can seamlessly buy and sell their coveted items. Albert Oskanov highlighted that the OSKELLY platform fosters an international community of fashion enthusiasts, providing each client with the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and potential buyers.
To ensure the authenticity and quality of items sold on the platform, OSKELLY has implemented rigorous offline expert authentication procedures for every luxury product listed. The company has established an in-house team of experts tasked with meticulously verifying the authenticity, condition, and quality of each item. This process includes a thorough visual inspection upon upload to the app, followed by a meticulous two-step authentication process conducted by OSKELLY’s experts before the item is delivered to the customer.
Moreover, the OSKELLY app goes beyond standard resale platforms by offering a concierge service designed to cater to customers seeking exclusive access to limited collections directly from renowned designer brands and luxury fashion boutiques. This personalized service adds an extra layer of convenience and luxury to the OSKELLY experience, enhancing the overall satisfaction of users seeking premium fashion offerings.
Albert Oskanov, CEO and co-founder of OSKELLY
“The OSKELLY office serves as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer,” he explained.
Oskanov emphasized that the platform maintains a stringent quality control system to conduct authenticity checks on every item.
“After the item successfully passes these checks, the platform issues an authenticity certificate to reassure its users that the item is 100 percent original,” he noted. Following certification, items undergo pre-sale preparation, including steaming and minimal restoration, before being packaged in branded packaging and prepared for delivery.
Building a Fashion Community Established in 2017 by siblings Albert Oskanov and Zaira Keligova, the OSKELLY narrative transcends mere commercial success.
“Our mission is to cultivate a community-driven fashion ecosystem, a vision we aim to replicate in the Middle East,” Oskanov articulated.
“We aim to rewrite the luxury fashion resale narrative, driven by a genuine desire to effect change at every level – from our wardrobes to the global community we inhabit,” he continued.
Oskanov highlighted that through the integration of AI technology, the resale platform will connect like-minded individuals and foster “conscious shopping” practices.
Zaira Keligova, co-founder of OSKELLY, added that beyond conscious shopping, the company also aims to position itself as a repository of unique and rare luxury items not typically found in new collections.
“We are reshaping sustainable fashion into a fresh and exciting trend by not only making luxury item resale affordable but also changing the mindset surrounding it,” Keligova explained.
She noted that the company plans to enlist popular local influencers to raise public awareness and destigmatize the notion of “pre-used,” transforming it into “pre-loved.”
Zaira Keligova, co-founder of OSKELLY
Regarding its initiatives to cultivate a vibrant community centered on conscious shopping, Keligova mentioned that the platform already offers numerous social tools.
“We have additional plans in our pipeline – we are consistently gathering and analyzing data on customer behavior, interactions, and feedback to enhance and refine our product,” she stated.
OSKELLY disclosed that it presently boasts a European user base exceeding 500,000 and a portfolio encompassing over 3,000 luxury brands.
Within just over a 12-month period, the platform facilitated over 100,000 successful transactions between buyers and sellers.
The co-founders of OSKELLY emphasized that the Middle East fashion industry market, estimated at $89 billion by the business of fashion, presents substantial potential for the company to disrupt and ascend to the next level.
“The time is ripe for a disruptor like OSKELLY, and we’re prepared to seize the opportunity,” they affirmed.