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A Human Ecology alum’s fashion startup offers a secondhand market for social media influencers’ clothing and accessories

By Melissa Newcomb

While working in marketing for a sustainable jeans company, Meghan McKenzie Russell ’19, BS ’18, was staffing an event promoting the brand to social media influencers when she overheard attendees complaining that their closets were overflowing.

As she explains: in the world of influencing, companies commonly give content creators clothing, shoes, bags, makeup, and other products in exchange for publicity.

“The thing with influencers, though,” Russell explains, “is they may wear an outfit once on social media, and then never again.”

To give content creators a way to offload unwanted products while generating income—and to divert “fast fashion” items from the landfill—Russell founded Detoure, an online marketplace for influencers’ secondhand clothing and accessories.

Meghan McKenzie Russell holding light pink balloons and posing outside the Detoure store during the grand opening. — Celebrating the store's debut in 2024.

The business, whose name is a portmanteau of “detour” and “couture,” also has a storefront on L.A.’s Melrose Avenue, one of the city’s premiere shopping districts.

“Things easily catch my eye here,” one college-aged shopper told the L.A. Times. “Then you check the price tag and it’s so cheap.”

The venture, which has also been featured in national media like NBC News, started in spring 2022 as a pop-up shop in a friend’s backyard.

The inside of the Detour store featuring a table with filled with high heels and racks of purses, sneakers, and shirts. — Detoure carries clothing and accessories ...

11 patterned purses from Detoure on a zebra print rug. — ... including an array of purses.

After Russell marketed the event on social media, hundreds of hopeful shoppers lined up around the block.

Over the course of two years, the pop-ups expanded to other cities including NYC and San Diego before Russell launched the storefront in April 2024.

The venture started in spring 2022 as a pop-up shop in a friend’s backyard.

“I had a lightbulb moment where I thought, ‘People follow influencers in order to dress like them—so why not be able to shop their closets directly?’” Russell recalls. “I went home, super eager, and started emailing hundreds of influencers.”

On the Hill, Russell majored in global and public health sciences in Human Ecology, was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, and worked at the Women’s Resource Center.

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She also met her future husband, the rapper and singer Paul Russell ’19, famed for the viral hit “Lil Boo Thang.”

At Detoure, Russell and her staff of six focus on popular Gen Z and young-Millennial brands including Reformation, Revolve, Lulus, and Princess Polly.

Clothing and accessories—which may be new with tags or barely used—are priced between 40% to 60% off retail, and cosmetics (which must be unopened) at around 70% off.

It also offers curated “mystery boxes”: customers send a screenshot of a Pinterest board with outfits they like, and staff assemble items inspired by its style.

Meghan McKenzie Russell and Paul Russell as a students in Collegetown in the winter. — In Collegetown with future husband Paul.

Detoure—which participated in the prestigious startup accelerator 500 Global in spring 2023—accepts items from influencers who have at least 10,000 followers across their social platforms.

It currently works with around 250 clients, who receive a portion of the revenue when an item sells.

I had a lightbulb moment where I thought, ‘People follow influencers in order to dress like them—so why not be able to shop their closets directly?'

They have included social media personalities like Tana Mongeau (who boasts a combined 14.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok) and reality TV stars such as Elliana Walmsley of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms” and “Love Island USA” winner Elizabeth Weber.

Russell estimates that the company has rehomed more 100,000 items since its pop-up days. Things that don’t sell are either donated or returned to the sellers.