In the latest instalment in our series with luxury CEOs, we sat down with Scott Cutler, CEO of StockX, an online trainer resale marketplace that tracks the value of fashion by pricing products based entirely on supply and demand. Cutler discusses the market’s fluctuations and Asia’s footprint on the exchange. 5 blinged-out trainers to buy now – just like Kylie Jenner’s Has the coronavirus outbreak had an impact on StockX’s business? StockX has seen staggering growth during the pandemic, with bricks-and-mortar shopping becoming unviable and an increasing number of people shopping online as a result. Even with lockdowns happening around the world, our platform has remained open, stable and strong thanks to the diversity and liquidity of our global marketplace and the incredible work of our frontline team members. We’ve actually seen record-breaking growth in 2020, surpassing US$2.5 billion in lifetime gross merchandise value (GMV) in June and seeing a record 25 million monthly global visitors in Q3 2020. We’re fortunate that our product supply isn’t dependent on a single country, or even a single continent. I’m confident our international presence, with buyers and sellers in over 200 countries and territories, will continue to keep us strong in the face of Covid-19 disruptions. Why Canada Goose CEO sees sustainability as key to fashion’s future View this post on Instagram A post shared by StockX (@stockx) What are the most popular trainers traded on StockX? View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Last Dance (@thelastdancenetflix) Since the premier of Netflix’s The Last Dance – a major cultural moment in 2020 – the Air Jordan 13 Retro Flint quickly became StockX’s bestselling sneaker of the year, and fastest selling sneaker in StockX history, with 40,000 sales in its first month on the market. Why digitisation is a must for luxury fashion brands What are the key factors for a fashion item to maintain or increase value? As a general rule, the resale value of coveted deadstock trainers will appreciate over time. This doesn’t apply across the board, but if the sneakers are made by a high-demand brand like Jordan and Yeezy, or if they’re the product of a hyped collaboration between a brand and a pop culture icon like Travis Scott or Justin Bieber, the price will likely go up. This is a simple function of supply and demand. For any particular sneaker, as time goes on, the supply of deadstock pairs declines. People wear their grails [most hallowed styles], and pairs get lost or otherwise damaged. As supply continues to decline, this typically puts an upward pressure on the resale price. Uniqlo CEO Tadashi Yanai: what don’t we know about Japan’s richest man? How active are Asian or Chinese consumers in this market? View this post on Instagram A post shared by StockX (@stockx) We have an extremely active and passionate customer base across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which is why the opening of our authentication centre in Hong Kong – our first-ever in APAC – is such an important milestone. Our bricks-and-mortar centre enables us to provide local users with customer experience improvements resulting in lowered fees, reduced shipping times and faster payouts. This launch follows the opening of our Tokyo office in 2019, and the launch of localised service in Japan in early 2020. Having a team on the ground strengthens our understanding of the local market and allows us to provide specialised service. It also strengthens our relationship with StockX customers in the region, which is one of our fastest growing globally. Across APAC, sell-side transactions on StockX are up more than 500 per cent in Q3 2020 compared to Q3 2019. In Hong Kong specifically, sell-side transactions jumped 1,000 per cent in Q3 2020 compared to Q3 2019. The region has an active community of passionate enthusiasts – we look forward to growing our physical presence and remain committed to scaling in a way that authentically connects with consumers all over the world. How luxury brands converted streetwear looks into cool kicks What’s your next key strategy for StockX? View this post on Instagram A post shared by StockX (@stockx) We’re focused on continuing growth globally in order to bring the same best-in-class StockX experience to all of our customers around the world. This commitment is exemplified by the opening of our Hong Kong authentication centre, as well as the Portland and Toronto facilities we launched earlier this month. We’re also focused on expanding and diversifying our existing product catalogue to scale the platform in a way that authentically connects with StockX consumers everywhere. Why are men’s sneakers more colourful – and more expensive – than women’s? The top five selling trainers on StockX globally in 2020 according to buy-side transactions 1. Air Jordan 13 Retro Flint 2020 2. Air Jordan 1 Retro High Black Game Royal Toe 3. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Cinder 4. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra 5. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Yecheil Work experience: 2019-present: Chief executive officer, StockX 2017-2019: Senior vice-president, Americas, eBay 2015-2017: President, StubHub 2006-2015: Executive vice-president, NYSE Euronext Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .