All you need to know about ‘Renting Fashion Luxury’

It’s not taboo anymore to turn up at a high-profile luxury event in clothes that are rented and not owned. Instead, it's considered practical and economical considering the sartorial demands of an increasingly busy social calendar. 

A hectic social life coupled with the onslaught of social media has made repeating one’s clothing or accessory almost unforgivable. So, in such circumstances it makes little sense to invest thousands of rupees in clothes that will be worn once and be relegated to a corner of the cupboard.
    
What’s the buzz all about?   
                
A decade ago, renting high-end designer wear was more or less unheard of. Women who didn't want to purchase an expensive dress for a one-time event were left to borrow from a friend. Designer gown and accessory rentals were the exclusive territory of celebrities and their stylists. But all that has now changed. The allure of ‘no ownership’ is now moving beyond housing and cars. 

High end fashion is now one of the biggest rental industries on the rise. It makes perfect sense for people who can't afford luxury brands but do appreciate the quality. The new generation raves multiple experiences and desires to be fashionable and trendy, without the pressure of permanent ownership. While the international market is huge for wardrobe rental services, with successful ventures like rent the Runway, Lending Luxury, Girl Meets Dress, etc, in India this trend is still in its early days. 

Renting outfits has become common for those once-in-a-lifetime events like wedding, mehendi, sangeet, bridal showers and bachelorette parties that require a level of luxury that's not necessarily worth the long-term investment. Moreover no one wants to be seen repeating outfits, especially in an age when social media captures everything. 

Sourcing from brands, upcoming designers, and stores that design their own merchandise, Flyrobe is a Mumbai-based fashion rental service that gives out bags, jewelry and apparel for various occasions. Launched in September 2015, it is by far the leading wardrobe rental service in the country, and features brands like FCUK, Forever New, ASOS, Mango, Quirk Box, as well as collections from designers like Samant Chauhan, Shehlaa Khan, Surendri, and more. 

You can rent a garment within three hours or more, for a time period of three days (for regular rentals). The rentals for western apparels start at Rs 179, and can go up to Rs 18,999 (for a designer lehenga worth over a lakh). While you need not pay a security deposit for high-street brands, you will have to pay a 20 per cent deposit for designer ones.
See more: www.flyrobe.com

A Mumbai-based service that started in 2005, The Clothing Rental is known to be a secret destination for professionals from the glamour industry. Apart from sourcing garments from the most basic brands, this service also allows you to rent out original brands from their New York buying office. 
See more: www.theclothingrental.com

Rent the Runway

The concept of luxury rental is simple, Customers can choose from designer garments, handbags, sunglasses, jewellery and other accessories they like, rent it for a couple of days at a fraction of the retail price and then return it. The company will send their courier partner to your door to pick up the outfit. 

Some companies even allow you to own it by paying the retail price for the item. While most of these services have a virtual store to rent from, there are a few that are also actually brick and mortar retail.

Recovery dilemmas

Apart from dealing with stains and damaged pieces, recovering the cost takes time. A gown worth Rs 30,000 will have to be rented at least 10 times to recover the cost before the company can start making profits. A security deposit is collected along with the rental to protect against damage and late returns which is refunded at the time of return of the outfits.

 Though it is too early to predict where the sector is headed, renting has clearly found favour with this generation that values experiences over possession. It's the perfect way to dip your feet into the season's newest trends without any strings attached.

Delhi-based Wrapd initially started off as Rent a Party Dress in 2009. It is also one of the many services that actually has a physical store. All you need to do is go and check out the outfits from either their store or by browsing online. 

You can then give them your measurements (in case of any alteration) for the attire you have chosen. Book the outfit by paying a rental fee and a security deposit that’s up to three times that rent and return it the day after the occasion.
See more: www.wrapd.in

From Big designer names like Gauri & Nainika and Manish Malhotra; outfits for an office party or for a wedding. Stage 3 has got all you want just a click away and available in most big cities. Stage3 rentals are about all things trendy and you can be rest assured about that!
See more- www.stage3.co