85 854
Fashion Jobs
BLOOMINGDALE'S
Merchant Operations Analyst
Permanent · NEW YORK
CROCS
Director, Service Management And Observability
Permanent · BROOMFIELD
CROCS
Supervisor, Distribution Center
Permanent · LAS VEGAS
QVC
td/Director
Permanent · WEST CHESTER
BUCKLE BRANDS
Womens Buying Support i
Permanent · KEARNEY
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Alexander Mcqueen Operations Manager, Saks NY
Permanent · NEW YORK
WILLIAMS SONOMA
Assistant Site Manager – Williams Sonoma
Permanent · SAN FRANCISCO
TIFFANY & CO
Branch Security Officer- South Coast Plaza
Permanent · COSTA MESA
OLD NAVY
Assistant General Manager, Merchandising - Pheasant Run Plaza
Permanent · CHICO
OLD NAVY
Assistant General Manager, Merchandising - Merrimack Premium
Permanent · MERRIMACK
ATHLETA
Assistant General Manager - 18th & 5th
Permanent · NEW YORK
OLD NAVY
Assistant General Manager, Merchandising - Arizona Mills
Permanent · TEMPE
GAP
General Manager - Philadelphia Mills
Permanent · PHILADELPHIA
OLD NAVY
General Manager - Shops at Waldorf Center (New Store)
Permanent · WALDORF
OLD NAVY
Assistant General Manager, Merchandising - Triangle Square
Permanent · NEW YORK
OLD NAVY
Assistant General Manager, Merchandising - Northgate Mall
Permanent · CHATTANOOGA
OLD NAVY
General Manager - Coosa Town Center
Permanent · GADSDEN
OLD NAVY
General Manager - Upper Valley Plaza
Permanent · LEBANON
ATHLETA
General Manager - Issaquah Commons
Permanent · ISSAQUAH
ATHLETA
General Manager - 2nd And Pch
Permanent · LONG BEACH
BANANA REPUBLIC
Assistant General Manager - Home
Permanent · TROY
OLD NAVY
Director, CRM, Marketing
Permanent · SAN FRANCISCO
By
Reuters
Published
Sep 10, 2009
Reading time
2 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Something new? Try borrowing as fashion rentals surge

By
Reuters
Published
Sep 10, 2009

SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters Life) - Recession-hit fashionistas wanting to look a million dollars without paying so much are keeping up appearances and fuelling a new industry in Australia -- online fashion rentals.


Photo: www.lovemeandleaveme.com

Struggling with redundancy or lower salaries, many Australian women are following in the designer footsteps of their American peers and resorting to renting designer clothes and accessories from online websites or buying them second-hand.

"We have experienced a huge growth particularly in the last three months. It seems like the downturn has done wonders for business," said Simonne Santana, founder of Love Me and Leave Me (www.lovemeandleaveme.com), the first and one of the biggest fashion-borrowing websites in Australia.

"We've experienced record membership intakes and rental intakes. It's obviously a trend that people have warmed to," she said, adding the site now has 5,000 members who can also buy used, or new, designer wear at a discount.

The site is one of seven catering to clients that range from students to professionals, and which offer clothes, shoes and handbags from coveted designers such as Prada, Louis Vuitton and Chanel at reasonable rates.

For example, a Prada dress which retails for A$1,900 ($1,600) is available for rent on Love Me and Leave Me for A$149.95 ($129) a week or A$249.95 ($215) a month.

"I think in this tough economic time, everyone is having to rethink what they're spending and have to be a little smarter with their money," said Simone Marshall, a shoe store employee and avid party-goer who, like many women, doesn't like to wear the same dress to more than a few occasions.

"I have quite a designer palate and like having beautiful dresses. Now I can have four dress for the price of one."

Adele Juniper, a corporate employee, borrows dresses and accessories about nine times a year, for work and social events.

She says renting gives her variety without a hefty price tag.

"I like designer items but they cost a lot to purchase so borrowing allows me change around on a monthly basis or when I have a special events on for work," she said.

The recession has also boosted business for Stevie Dellamarta, who launched Indian Giver (www.indiangiver.com.au) earlier this year, specializing in high-end Australian designers including Willow, Kirrily Johnston and Camilla and Marc

Dellamarta credits the hit movie "Sex and the City," in which one of the characters admits she borrows all her designer handbags, for exposing Australians to the idea, but says borrowing is not really mainstream yet.

"While I think the borrowing revolution is coming, I don't think it's here yet. I think it's going to be a huge industry in years to come," she said.

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Miral Fahmy)

© Thomson Reuters 2024 All rights reserved.