By Charlotte Mair
Gen Zers are emerging as the Sustainability Generation, according to Forbes. This generation of fashion trend-setters has given rise to new ideas about sustainability, with the most recent being the full-on embrace of the fashion rental.
In fact, according to the Guardian, Gen Z is actually responsible for fueling the fashion rental industry.
According to research from Mordor Intelligence, the Fashion Rental market is expected to be worth £2.47 billion by 2029. The market for fashion rental is growing exponentially in relation to the growing fast fashion market.
Why? It’s simple. Being able to rent a trending fashion item without sourcing a replica or a ‘dupe’ online can help to lessen the pace of trend cycles as the garments rented are fulfilling a purpose, and then moving to another wearer.
Indeed, British rental services are paving the way for a more sustainable future, and with many of them fast becoming household names, it’s easy to see why. Hurr, created by Victoria Prew, is just one example, emerging as a leading rental outlet with celebrity clients such as Kate Moss.
Their roster of garments spans from high street brands to designer labels, with pricing options from as little as £4 for four days. Prew told Elle UK, ‘HURR is based on creating accessibility and a route to luxury fashion for a mainstream market.’
Rosa Macvicar, a fashion photographer, often uses Hurr as part of her creative process. “Hurr is a reputable brand and has a large range of items. It’s an affordable way for me to source accessories for photoshoots,” she told Holloway Express.
Photos by Rosa Macvicar
For many people, especially young creatives, being able to access garments and accessories through the rental service can spark creativity. “Once I needed designer earrings for a shoot and buying them outright to return wasn’t a viable option as I am a student as they were really out of my budget,” says Macvicar.
“Renting them from Hurr allowed me to have them for a significantly lower price for a short period of time,” she says.
It’s not just the price; renting is also more sustainable, and you can find rare pieces, Macvicar notes: “I would definitely recommend Hurr for personal use as it’s a much more eco-friendly way to shop. Sites like Hurr have such a big collection of bespoke pieces from older collections, which can be hard to come by.”
Similar rental websites include By Rotation, which offers a wardrobe-sharing platform. Users can follow the lenders of the curated selections, allowing them to find those with similar styles and wardrobes they resonate with.
Photo by By Rotation
Rites, situated on Broadway Market in East London, is a one-of-a-kind physical store where customers can rent clothing in-store rather than pop-ups. The rental fee includes the pre- and post-cleaning of the garments, which can be rented for days or weeks at a time.
They stock brands such as Ganni, Realisation Par, 16 Arlington and Self Portrait. The rental fee also includes minor damage protection to the maximum of £50 per item and free returns via courier in London or by post.
“In the event of irreparable damage or loss of the item, the borrower would be liable to cover the total estimated RRP of the item at the discretion of our team,” it says on their website.
Ellie Robinson, 20, is set to graduate this summer and is set on renting her graduation dress. “Clothing rental is so popular now, it wouldn’t make sense to me to spend hundreds of pounds on a dress that I would only wear once,” she says.
“Clothing rental is normalised more for suit hires but not necessarily dresses. I would rather hire a couture dress for the day then spend more for a fashion fashion dress that I will only wear once.”
Photo of Ellie Robinson by Charlotte Mair dress from Rites
Fashion rental sites can be an ideal source for those who are environmentally conscious and fashion forward to be in keeping with the latest trends without contributing to fast fashion.
For everyday styling, rental subscription services offer month-long rentals of luxury goods without commiting to trending pieces. Nuuly, created by URBN – the umbrella company of Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters – enables subscribers to pick pieces across their brands as apart of their subscription.
“We bring in new inventory every day and are constantly sourcing new brands via trade shows, Instagram, or even customer referrals,” says Dave Hayne, CTO of URBN and President of Nuuly in an interview with Vogue.
Renters can check out six items at a time with each membership, which costs $98 (about £77) per month, including shipping and cleaning. “Our algorithm will get to know what you like and re-sort the product you see accordingly, but it gets smarter the more actions you take,” adds Hayne.
Rent the Runway has modernised in recent years, “Today, we’re seeing customers use their subscriptions for a wider set of life events than ever before, renting for micro-occasions like brunches, vacations, and birthdays,” Anushka Salinas, President and COO of Rent the Runway, explains to Vogue. “Every moment—small or large—is now an excuse to get dressed up and feel their best.”
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