Fashion Rental During Covid-19

With weddings on hold and summer holidays a distant dream, clothing rental has fallen dramatically since the pandemic began. It was seen as a more cost-effective and sustainable alternative to shopping. Several new British companies launched, loaning luxury clothes and accessories, and reporting exponential growth in their first years of trading. 

H&M and Ganni were among the first retailers to begin trialling a rental model back in 2019, while several new platforms including Hurr Collective and My Wardrobe HQ have launched pop-ups in department stores over the past year. 

Then the lockdown happened, shops shuttered, events cancelled, diaries cleared. Suddenly everything had to be vigorously disinfected and, as we were all holed-up at home for the foreseeable future, there seemed little need to change out of pyjamas.

In the US, Rent the Runway, the poster child for the fashion rental model, has already announced lay-offs, temporary pay cuts and unpaid leave staff in response to the pandemic. 

“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, RTR’s sales have dropped significantly,” the company said in a statement on Twitter. “We therefore have had to make difficult decisions to sustain the business by cutting costs across the board.” 

The brand says it has enacted a series of safety measures in its warehouses, as well as giving employees the option of choosing not to work, staying home and using paid benefits.

By Erica Pamela