Why Luxury Brands Destroy Unsold Clothes | The Dark Side of Fashion
26m | Sep 29, 2026What happens to luxury fashion when it doesn’t sell?
In this episode, Diane Gilman takes a hard look at one of the fashion industry’s most controversial practices: what luxury brands do with unsold merchandise.
Why destroy perfectly wearable clothing, handbags, and accessories instead of putting them on sale or allowing them to enter the secondhand market? Diane explores the connection between exclusivity, pricing, brand image, waste, and the growing popularity of vintage and resale fashion.
She also looks at the environmental consequences of fashion waste and asks a bigger question: how can an industry built around creativity continue to justify destroying what it creates?
From luxury landfills to the booming vintage market, this conversation examines the economics, ethics, and environmental impact behind what happens to fashion when it doesn't sell.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Why Luxury Brands Destroy Unsold Goods
01:59 The Scale of Fashion Destruction
03:59 Why Brands Destroy Instead of Discounting
06:59 The Environmental and Ethical Cost
09:59 The Rise of Vintage and Secondhand Luxury
13:03 What Destruction Does to Brand Value
15:58 Luxury Goods and Global Landfills
19:01 Diane's Experience With Hermès and Resale
22:01 The Ethics of Fashion Waste
24:59 Could Upcycling and Vintage Be the Answer?
Special Offers & Resources Mentioned:
✨Use code "THEDIANEGILMAN" at checkout to receive 10% off your order — http://www.primeprometics.com/THEDIANEGILMAN
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