It’s the deciding episode of RE/style, where we’ve seen eight fashion designers from across Europe creating fabulous, one-of-a-kind looks from pre-loved garments. Now, after six weeks of sewing, draping, stitching (and a little bit of drama), only two finalists remain: 27-year-old Chiara, from Sicily, and 22-year-old Emily, from York. And if you thought the competition was tough before, then this week it’s turned up a notch.
Recapped: finalists go into the wild with crunched timelines and glamorous assistants
The final of Vinted’s fashion competition with Prime Video kicks off on a wholesome note, with all eight candidates returning to the design studio. After reflecting on the journey they’ve taken over these past weeks, host Emma Willis and the RE/style judging panel – fashion director Zadrian Smith and celebrity stylist Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe – give Emily and Chiara their final challenge.
This week, the judges were joined by Vinted’s Jessie de la Merced and model Eunice Olumide
With a brief of “into the wild”, the designers are tasked with creating a showstopping look inspired by the natural world. And, because it’s the final, there’s a twist: they’ll have just four hours – not the usual six – to create their last runway look out of pre-loved pieces. But it’s not all bad: they get to pick another contestant to help them, as their glamorous assistant. Emily chose David – the 22-year-old designer whose fashion-forward, costumic designs impressed the judges. And Chiara? She chose Alejandro, the 26-year-old who was named “head designer” in the very first week and was known for creating ambitious and detailed designs. At the start of the challenge, Smith advises: “Give it your best, give it your all, give it your everything!”
In many ways, Emily and Chiara are the perfect RE/style finalists because they each have their own signature style and different strengths. “Emily’s designs are grand, they’re big, they’re technical,” says Holdbrook-Akposoe. “But Chiara’s pieces are wearable and beautiful and whimsical.”
This distinction is clear in their final designs. Emily is creating a dress inspired by 70s floral prints. This asymmetric patchwork dress will be made using pre-loved knits in bright colours. She’ll add volume with puffy sleeves and bright frills. Emily has designed menswear so far, so choosing to showcase womenswear is a bid to impress the judges – can she pull it off?
Meanwhile, Chiara’s final design is inspired by a road trip through America’s Great Smoky Mountains. She’s using a draping technique to create an elegant top and skirt two-piece, with feather detailing to contrast with the sleek, flowing fabric. In the previous episode, her VIP look wowed the judges – can she do it again?
The judges are joined by two special guests: model Eunice Olumide, and Jessie de la Merced, Vinted’s vice-president of corporate affairs. “At Vinted, we believe that secondhand is the future of fashion. Our mission is to make secondhand first choice, so what I’m going to be looking for is how are these designers translating pre-loved garments into something that understands the heritage of the garment, but yet creates something entirely new,” says De la Merced. In other words: the winning design will celebrate secondhand clothing as the future of fashion.
The theme is ‘into the wild’ – looks inspired by the natural world
Both designers saved the best until last. Emily’s bold patchwork dress looked straight out of a high-fashion editorial. And Chiara’s red carpet-ready two-piece managed to be both playful and sophisticated. With each designer shining brightly, the judges had a painstaking decision to make. They reflected on the duo’s journeys throughout the competition – Emily coming in strong with bold, creative designs, while Chiara improved every week and found a way to make her signature style wearable.
Both Chiara and Emily would be worthy of the win, but in the end, there could only be one champion. To find out who was crowned RE/style winner, you’ll have to watch the final episode. (Or – spoiler alert – scroll to the bottom of this page, where we caught up after her debut at London fashion week.)
Restyled: Louis’ lessons for transitional dressing
There could hardly be a better time to take inspiration from Mother Nature, because looking at the autumn/winter 2025 collections, the natural world was once again fashion’s greatest muse. The catwalks featured gorgeous gowns stitched with wildflowers and birds, as well as a focus on faux fur and animal prints.
Autumn is the season where nature most influences how I dress. As the weather gets cooler, my sartorial colour palette tends to reflect my surroundings. I actively look forward to wearing knitwear again. One of the most versatile garments to have in your closet for autumn is a lightweight jacket. It’s perfect for those days where it’s a little chilly but still just too warm for a winter coat. And when it gets cooler, it’s great for layering over a sweater or under a thicker coat. I’d recommend searching for a pre-loved workwear jacket, a “shacket”, or perhaps a bomber jacket in autumn leaf shades such as brown, forest green, and burnt orange. They’re perfect for navigating that tricky-to-dress-for transitional weather.
Resold: pop to Vinted for puffers and pre-loved prints
At Vinted, secondhand is the future of fashion, helping you fill gaps in your wardrobe and let go of those pieces you no longer wear. You can get super specific with your searches, too; it takes seconds to find a particular nature-inspired item, like a pair of trainers in leopard or cow print, or a faux-snakeskin clutch bag.
For nature-inspired fashion, my mind instantly goes to print and colour, but it could mean something even more literal. Vinted is also your go-to for savings on bigger ticket garments to help you weather nature’s elements, such as puffer jackets from the North Face and Tommy Hilfiger, or cool weather staples like a cable knit sweater, or even a pre-loved Acne scarf.
Spoiler alert! The champion of RE/style is revealed
In the end, it was Chiara – the “queen of sparkle” from Sicily – who won. The judges were impressed by how she grew in confidence throughout the competition, her signature glitzy style evolving into a more tempered, chic wearability. Her designs dazzled on the catwalk of Oxfam’s London fashion week show, in partnership with Vinted, an event that encouraged people to dress for the world they want and embrace secondhand fashion. Speaking afterwards, Chiara said: “I have never done a fashion show before! I always did catwalks when I was a kid, in my mum’s kitchen, and I forced her to sit and watch me. Now she’s here tonight and this is happening for real, at London fashion week! It’s like a dream.”
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