Need a party dress? Fashion rentals are the way to go for generation rent – plus they don’t create waste and they’re democratising fashion
- In Hong Kong, party-goers can rent catwalk fashion from as little as US$20 a day
- Companies such as Yeechoo, Wardrobista and Pret-a-dress offer dress hire services
Party season sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? This year, my first Christmas party set a record. It was on November 13. I used to think early December invitations were aggressive. On receiving the invite, my first thought was: what am I going to wear? I don’t think I’m alone.
A mad scramble in my wardrobe ensued. That LBD I’ve worn multiple times is easy to transform with accessories, but a memorable statement dress? Not so much, especially if you move in Hong Kong’s small circles. I don’t subscribe to the “never be caught dead in the same outfit twice” philosophy. It has reached new heights with Instagram and fast fashion, but so have the piles of discarded clothes in landfills. In Hong Kong, about 370 tonnes of textiles are dumped daily.
Still, the thrill of a new outfit is undeniable. It would be nice to experiment with this season’s satin dresses, statement sleeves, or 1980s redux glittery tailoring, but I don’t have the funds or the wardrobe space to go all out on new designer duds. Enter fashion rentals.
Admittedly, I’m late to the party. Hong Kong brides have been renting their countless wedding wardrobe changes for years. Celebrities borrow outfits all the time. Why not us? That was a question answered by the founders of Rent the Runway, the most famous example, when they established the company in 2009. A decade later, it is valued at US$1 billion.
A shared wardrobe is hardly revolutionary for women who grew up with a sister or attended boarding school. Millennials like sharing, apparently. Also known as “generation rent”, fewer of them own cars because they can use Grab, Uber, Didi. They rent office spaces and homes rather than being tied down long term. They use Airbnb for travel. Prizing access over ownership extends to clothes, too.
Although Rent the Runway is not available in Hong Kong, several services based on the same model are. Yeechoo.com not only provides rental of clothes and accessories by an array of designers, it also offers fittings, packages for travel or photo shoots, and has a showroom for women who aren’t comfortable with doing it all online.
