Hazaar: Revolutionising Student Fashion with Sustainable Secondhand Style
Harriet Noy, a visionary entrepreneur at just 26, has launched Hazaar, a groundbreaking secondhand fashion platform designed specifically for students. Her mission is to make sustainable shopping not only accessible but also the most appealing and affordable option for young consumers, tackling the pervasive issue of fast fashion waste head-on.
Hazaar emerged from a keenly observed need during Noy’s time as a student at the University of Birmingham. She noticed a recurring trend among her peers: the frequent purchase of single-use clothing, particularly for occasions like fancy dress parties. This pattern highlighted a significant gap in the market for a convenient and cost-effective alternative to the constant cycle of buying new.
From Campus Buzz to App Innovation
Noy’s initial approach was grassroots. She started with Facebook groups, leveraging posters plastered across university campuses. This organic strategy quickly gained traction, attracting an impressive 20,000 student sign-ups. The success of these informal groups demonstrated a clear demand for a more structured and scalable solution.
The year after graduating, Noy recognised the potential to formalise and monetise the concept. She developed a dedicated app, which not only streamlined the buying and selling process but also incorporated valuable carbon reporting data. This innovation allowed universities to purchase the platform, offering students seamless access without individual membership fees, with the university covering the costs. This move was instrumental in embedding sustainability into the university ecosystem.
Making Sustainability the Smart Choice
Noy’s core philosophy is to make the sustainable option the most attractive. “The key thing for me is making the sustainable option the cheapest, the most affordable, the most desirable, and it just so happens to be better than buying something brand new,” she explains. She observed that many students gravitated towards brands like Shein primarily due to their low price points. Hazaar aims to directly challenge this by offering a more sustainable alternative that competes on affordability.
Navigating Challenges and Pivoting for Growth
While the university partnerships were successful, Noy encountered a common hurdle: tightening university budgets that made scaling the business increasingly difficult. Despite Hazaar generating a healthy turnover of over £120,000, Noy was contemplating the next phase of growth.
A significant turning point came when fashion brands began approaching Noy with a different proposition: they had excess stock that they wanted to offload. This presented an exciting opportunity to pivot Hazaar’s business model. While maintaining the successful student-to-student resale component, Noy expanded the platform to include selected items from brands at heavily discounted prices, specifically for students.
A New Era: Brand Partnerships and Sustainable Stock
This strategic shift allows fashion companies to sell their surplus inventory, preventing it from ending up in landfill or being sent to recycling centres. “The price point will be a lot lower than anywhere else, and students have to verify their status to be able to purchase it,” Noy explains of the new integrated feature, which launched recently. This ensures that the discounted items reach the target demographic while addressing the significant issue of brand waste.
The secondhand market is experiencing a surge in popularity, and Noy sees this as a fertile ground for innovation. As consumers, particularly younger generations, become more conscious of their environmental impact, platforms like Hazaar offer a tangible way to make more circular choices. “The rise of secondhand is great, because there’s so much excess stock from brands in the world. I want to bring that to students at secondhand prices,” she states. “I want to prevent stock from going to waste.”
Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations
Noy’s journey as a young business owner has been a steep learning curve. She emphasises the importance of seeking advice from more experienced entrepreneurs, noting that many were willing to offer their insights and support. Her advice to fellow aspiring business owners is to prioritise revenue over chasing investment, especially in the early stages. “Investment should only be used when you’re trying to scale in a direction that you know works,” she advises, reflecting on her own experience where early investments were sometimes used as a distraction from validating the core business model.
Looking ahead, Noy envisions Hazaar becoming the go-to platform for brands seeking to connect with students and for students looking for a trusted, affordable, and sustainable fashion community. Her commitment to making sustainable fashion accessible and desirable continues to drive Hazaar’s evolution, offering a compelling alternative to the damaging impacts of fast fashion.
