Orbit plans to make vintage fashion from around the world accessible at home. Photo / Supplied
Orbit plans to make vintage fashion from around the world accessible at home. Photo / Supplied
Noticing the gap in the NZ market for high-quality, second-hand clothes, brothers Zac, Luca and Mags Griffin set out to bring sustainable designs to Kiwis. Aged 17 to 21, the team have been building their brand since 2018.
What does Orbit do?
Orbit is an online peer-to-peer marketplace where users can buy and sell pre-loved vintage, streetwear and designer clothing in New Zealand. It is a curated marketplace - all listings are reviewed by Orbit before they are published to ensure that only premium clothing is on the website.
What was the motivation for starting the business?
The motivation for starting Orbit came from the fact that we didn’t feel like there was an online marketplace in New Zealand that was solely based on second-hand clothing. We thought this was surprising due to the fact that there is such a high demand for second-hand clothing in Aotearoa and so many Kiwis are interested in fashion.
The name orbit refers to clothing going full circle. The idea of clothes orbiting rather than going in the bin or landfill is one of our aims with the marketplace.
We are from Auckland and have always had a love of vintage clothing. We had an instagram account dedicated to selling vintage clothing back in 2018 also named Orbit. We struggled to find a marketplace in New Zealand that offered strictly premium clothing and had to source a lot of items from overseas. This is where the idea for the Orbit marketplace stemmed from.
Orbit founders say second-hand clothes are a growing market in Aotearoa. Photo / Supplied
How has this led to sustainable fashion?
We loved second-hand clothing and were super keen to start a business that helped the planet and [reduced] landfill. Sustainability is a massive thing that needs to be taken seriously, particularly in today’s world of fast fashion, fast everything to be honest. The facts are all there about landfill and waste and anything that we can do to stop that is, I think, a positive step forward.
What are you focused on achieving through Orbit?
We want to create a marketplace where Kiwis know that they’re going to find a really cool piece of clothing and don’t have to rummage through other random items. We also want a platform where people know they can get a good price for their premium clothing and entrepreneurs have a platform to grow their own business and sell their own clothing. If you look at sites overseas, particular items of clothing sell for $200-300 easily. In New Zealand, it’s really hard to get that sort of money for pieces, even if they’re worth it. This can be really frustrating for sellers, so to create a community where people’s items can be appreciated and bought for what they’re worth would be great for sellers in New Zealand.
Where do you see the business in the future?
We hope the business will be used by all Kiwis interested in fashion and second-hand clothing. We would love to see Orbit branch out internationally.
—- This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air
