A summer of love - and drama - is just a matter of weeks away with a bunch of fresh singletons getting ready to take part in this year's Love Island. The ITV2 series, hosted by Laura Whitmore, will return to screens at the start of June - and we can hear the sounds of 'I've got a text' already.
But while it still looks set to be the same show viewers have come to know and love over the years, a major change is being made to the clothes the new Islanders will wear.
Instead of being treated to a whole new wardrobe before they enter the famous Spanish villa, they'll be filmed donning pre-loved clothes. Love Island has announced its new partnership with eBay UK in support of its mission to change the way we shop for clothes.
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eBay UK is the first pre-loved fashion partner to couple up with the show. A shared wardrobe will also be situated in the new villa for the first time ever. Living the ‘eat, sleep, rewear, repeat’ mentality, it says viewers can expect to see Islanders showing off fits that reflect their personalities and individuality this summer, while doing their bit to extend the life cycle of clothes.
The collaboration comes after new research and data from eBay reveals that UK shoppers are becoming increasingly conscious of fast fashion. A fifth (20%) of Brits admit that they buy more second-hand fashion compared to two years ago and reveal on average, that 16% of their wardrobes are made up of pre-loved clothes. Those aged 18 to 34 have the highest average percentage of second-hand clothes in their wardrobe, nearly double that of those over 55.
Last year, fans looking to replicate their favourite Islanders' looks, caused searches to soar. with 2021 winner Millie Court proving to be the biggest trendsetter.
Jemma Tadd, head of fashion at eBay UK said: "We’re so excited to partner with Love Island this year and put pre-loved fashion, centre stage. The impact of Love Island and its stars across the UK is undeniable and together we want to inspire the nation to choose pre-loved first when shopping - even if this means buying or selling one or two pre-loved items to start with, it’s a step in the right direction. We can’t wait to change the conversation and dress the Islanders in pre-loved outfits for the very first time."
Mike Spencer, executive producer of Love Island, said: “We are thrilled to be pairing up with eBay this year as our pre-loved fashion partner. As a show we strive to be a more eco-friendly production with more focus on ways in which we can visibly show this on screen.
"This partnership will see our Islanders get to dive into the shared wardrobes and help themselves to some incredible pre-loved clothes sourced from eBay. We aim to inspire our demographic and show that there are incredible finds to be had and how sharing is, in some small way, caring."
eBay UK has also recruited celebrity stylist and secondhand enthusiast, Amy Bannerman, to style this year’s Islanders. Amy has a star-studded list of clients having styled celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Sophie Turner, Jonathan Van Ness and Lena Dunham.
