The Month the Conversation Got Personal

Posted October 20, 2026

In September, I promised the ReBloom conversation was leaving the screen. October is when it actually walked out the door: onto a runway, into a West Loop market, and across three cities in Southeast Asia.

For weeks, I've been asking one question in rooms, on calls, and on flights: what is the stuff we own actually worth? In money, in meaning, and in what it says about who we're becoming. This month, I got some of my best answers yet. Not from slides, but from the women, makers, and cities I met along the way.

Here's what October taught me, and what's coming next.

Randolph Street Market: Where Every Piece Has a Past

Since our partnership with Randolph Street Market began in July, I've come to see the West Loop market as a living archive of Chicago style. Antiques, vintage, and designer pieces sit side by side, each one already carrying a story.

That's exactly why Randolph Street Market joined The Reinvention Edit as one of our Story Sponsors.

In September, we brought the ReBloom camera to the market for a one-day activation. We kept it simple, with two questions for everyone we met.

To vendors, we asked: "Why Randolph?" Then: "Show me what you're excited about today."

To shoppers, we asked: "Why Randolph?" Then: "Show me what you found."

We kept the conversations quick and natural, and let the market speak for itself. Every answer to "Why Randolph?" was a little different, and every find had a story behind it. Watch for those vendor stories and "show me what you found" moments on our social channels soon.

If you missed it, you have two more chances this year. The Holiday Markets run November 14–15 and December 12–13 at 1341 W Randolph Street. Come find a gift with a history.

Chicago Fashion Week: The City Wearing Its Story

Chicago Fashion Week returned October 8–18 for its third edition, under a line I haven't stopped thinking about: "With love, from the city wearing its story."

That's ReBloom's whole philosophy in eight words. Fashion week is usually about what's next. This year, Chicago made room for what's already here: the pieces in our closets, the makers in our neighborhoods, and the women who wear them.

The week opened on October 8 with a sold-out opening night: a presentation with Pauline Brown at Film Row Cinema, then the VIP Opening Party in the Crystal Ballroom of The Blackstone Hotel. The style and energy in both rooms were incredible: designers, creatives, and cultural voices all celebrating Chicago's place in fashion.

Four days later, Chicago Fashion Week's founder and creative director came to our own event, welcoming The Reinvention Edit: Chicago onto the 2026 calendar. Having Carrie, John, Tiffany, and Lauren in the room meant so much to us, and to the women who shared their stories. Thank you for making Chicago Fashion Week a home for stories like these. We'd be honored to join you again next year.

The Reinvention Edit: The Stories We Wear. The Women We Become.

On October 12, we opened the doors of Three Cities Social Club in River North for The Reinvention Edit: Chicago, a LOVELUVV × ReBloom Global fashion salon. Our premise was simple: every closet holds a memoir.

The evening began with The Next Chapter, LOVELUVV's "Battle of the Bubbles" tasting for our VIP guests. Then the room filled. Guests wrote on our Story Wall and finished the sentence at our "In My Next Edit, I Will" installation.

Then came the moment I'll remember longest. A select group of Chicago women walked the runway, not as models, but as themselves. Each one shared a piece of her story, and the audience offered ideas for her next chapter.

Our fireside chat brought together Samantha Danielle of LOVELUVV as moderator, psychologist Alane Jackson Anthony, stylist Lora LaPratt, Love & Protect Wisdom, and me. We talked about what women hold onto, what changes when our bodies and lives do, and whether reinvention requires buying something new. (Spoiler: it usually doesn't.) A few guests even found questions hidden under their seats and joined the conversation.

We closed with a Toast to What's Next. Not to the past, but to the women we're becoming.

Thank you to our Story Sponsors, Randolph Street Market and Inspired Closets, and to Love & Protect Wisdom. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the evening supported their work helping women rebuild with dignity.

For a first-time event, the response humbled us. More than 100 women and men registered, and nearly 75 filled the room. Samantha and I are so grateful to everyone who trusted us with this evening.

Together, we raised $1,000 for Love & Protect Wisdom. Thank you to everyone who gave. We'll share a full recap of the night on our social channels soon. Look for #CHIFW2026.

Watch the Recap

Couldn't make it, or want to relive the night? Watch the runway moments, the fireside conversation, and the Toast to What's Next in our recap video.

Watch The Reinvention Edit: Chicago recap

Field Notes: From Los Angeles to Southeast Asia

Before Chicago Fashion Week, I spent two weeks on the road. My goal was to study how different cultures value clothing, craftsmanship, repair, and secondhand.

Los Angeles (September 21–26). Between NBMBAA conference sessions, I went sourcing: vintage shops in downtown LA, The RealReal, the LA Fashion District, and the Los Feliz flea market. We wrapped the week with our Closet Walk store crawl, part of the Coffee, Closets & Conversation series. LA reminded me that resale isn't a trend there. It's a lifestyle.

Hanoi, Vietnam. Around the Old Quarter, I saw a city where tailoring and repair are still everyday habits. My favorite find? Single-origin Vietnamese chocolate, a reminder that the best things are made slowly and with care.

Taipei, Taiwan. I joined the early-morning tai chi in the park, moving alongside locals who have practiced together for years. Later, the vintage boutiques of Zhongshan were a highlight: carefully curated, beautifully presented, and priced with real respect for each piece's history.

Bangkok, Thailand. I slowed down over a cup of Thai tea and brought home Thai silk. Few fabrics show so clearly how a textile can carry a nation's craft and identity.

The lesson I brought home: the most sustainable cultures don't talk about sustainability. They simply value what they have.

Coming Soon: The ReBloom Resale Index

What's your closet actually worth? For most of us, the honest answer is "no idea." The resale industry doesn't have an inventory problem. It has an education problem.

That's why we're building The ReBloom Resale Index, a guide to what pieces are really selling for and which brands hold their value. It will help you decide what to keep, sell, or consign with confidence.

The Index will arrive in Spring 2027. Whether you're clearing space before the season or deciding which gifts will hold their value, it will help you shop and sell smarter. Sign up to be the first to see it.

One Awesome Thing for November: ReBloom Merchandise

This November, we're also launching our first ReBloom merchandise collection, designed to carry the message of a closet worth keeping. More details are coming soon, so sign up to be first in line.

Missed Episode 3 of Closet as Culture? Watch It Now

Our video series, Closet as Culture, explores the stories, habits and histories behind what we wear. In Episode 3, What Is Your Closet Trying to Tell You?, I sat down with Sarah Parisi, professional organizer, productivity consultant and founder of The Clutter Curator.

We talked about why we hold on to clothes we no longer wear, and how our closets reflect who we were, who we hope to be, and the transitions in between. Sarah shared how money, guilt and sentiment shape our keep-or-release decisions, and how to weigh a piece's emotional, practical and resale value.

If you missed it live on October 14, watch the full episode on YouTube. Then join us for the five sessions still ahead in The ReBloom Method Fall Series.

The ReBloom Method Fall Series: Five Sessions Left

We're three episodes into The ReBloom Method Fall Series. We've covered why your closet is an asset, why we buy clothes we never wear, and how the future of fashion is already hanging in your closet.

Every session is free and live, Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:45 PM Central: a 30-minute conversation plus 15 minutes of live Q&A.

Episode · Date (Wednesdays, 6 PM CT)

04: Five AI Tools Every Reseller Should Know · October 21

05: Before You Buy Another Holiday Outfit · November 4

06: Luxury Resale Without the Guesswork · November 18

07: What Your Closet Says About Your Year · December 2

08: Build a Closet That Supports the Life You're Creating · December 9

Save your seat for one, or join us for all five.

Your Next Edit

October reminded me that reinvention rarely starts with something new. It starts with seeing what you already have, and who you already are, a little differently.

So here's my invitation. Before you buy, ask what's already hanging in your closet. Before you let go, ask what that piece still has to give.

Ways to stay connected:

● Learn: Join the next ReBloom Method session on October 21

● Watch: Catch Closet as Culture Episode 3 with Sarah Parisi on YouTube

● Shop: Find us at the Randolph Street Market Holiday Markets, November 14–15 and December 12–13

● Be first: Sign up to be first to get our new merchandise this November, plus get The ReBloom Resale Index and our newsletter when it launches in 2027

● Connect: Contact us about partnerships, events or your own closet story

Learn → Apply → Experience → Connect → Thrive.

With gratitude,

Melinda Jordan
Founder, ReBloom Global

Sources: ReBloom blog · Randolph Street Market · Chicago Fashion Week · The Reinvention Edit · ReBloom Method Fall Series