Contemporary fashion arrives in HEAT's mystery boxes

Last January, LVMH and its investment fund partner L Catterton, Michael Mitterlehner; Stefano Rosso of the OTB Group and the Hermès family, as well as from the Antler company had become the new backers of HEAT, a British start-up whose users pay a fixed price based on the size of the box to purchase a mystery box containing various luxury brand items. The boxes include pieces from past seasons and inventories of luxury brands, which, as of today, in addition to the selection of brands already featured, is enriched with Rick Owens, Margiela, Acne Studios, Jacquemus, Our Legacy, Arc'Teryx, Marni, Loewe, JW Anderson, Nanushka, and Raf Simons. 

The expansion of HEAT's brand portfolio and the arrival of the Contemporary category, i.e., the one that will include new designers, represents a new phase for the start-up that has in effect created a union of retail, circularity, and social entertainment through unboxing videos; also fueling resell, as those who receive items that they decide not to wear can always resell them recovering in many cases the full value of the box with a single sale. A kind of win-win situation for brands, retailers, social media creators and customers that is having great success moving across all levels of the system. With more than 30,000 boxes sold since its 2019 launch, HEAT's appeal to the luxury world lies in the fact that the innovative retail system is a fashion entry point for Gen Z audiences, capable of taking the shopping experience to a new level.