Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19 - British Vogue

5/20/2020 Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19?
| British Vogue
B R I TA I N
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an a liate
commission.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/will-the-fashion-rental-market-recover 1/13
5/20/2020 Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19? | British Vogue
B R I TA I N
© Photography Jamie Stoker
FAS H I O N
Will The Fashion Rental Market Ever Recover

From Covid-19?
B Y E M I LY C H A N
1 7 M AY 2 0 2 0
With weddings on hold and summer holidays a distant dream, clothing rental has fallen
dramatically since the pandemic began. But will coronavirus change our long-term attitude
towards sharing clothes? Here’s what we know so far.
B R I TA I N
Before the pandemic struck, renting clothes was seen as the ultimate solution to the
damaging buy-once wear-once culture so many of us had become trapped in.
Instead of purchasing a new dress for a wedding or holiday, you could borrow one
instead (thereby preventing it from ending up in landfill once you no longer had use
for it). The clothing rental market was also starting to change the high street. 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.
Read more: How Will Covid-19 Permanently Affect Our Shopping Habits?
But now that weddings have been put on hold and holidays seem like a distant
dream, the future of rental — which was projected to be worth $2.5 billion (£2
billion) by 2023 — looks far from certain. In the US, Rent the Runway, the poster
child for the fashion rental model, has already announced lay-offs, temporary pay
cuts and furloughed 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.”
B R I TA I N
The company has also faced allegations that it has not properly protected
warehouse employees from coronavirus — claims that it has since strongly refuted
in both a statement online and a letter from CEO Jennifer Hyman to staff. 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. “This pandemic is far from over,” the company added in its statement. “We
know that we will have to continue to make difficult decisions as we navigate
forward, but we will always act with our values first.”
No events? No renting
Rent the Runway is by no means the only rental company facing challenges as a
result of the pandemic. Other platforms, including UK-based, peer-to-peer site Hurr
Collective, have also seen a dramatic fall in the number of people renting. “The
B R I TA I N
demand side has definitely been impacted for the simple reason of people not
having events to go to,” co-founder and CEO Victoria Prew tells Vogue.
B R I TA I N
© Photography Jamie Stoker
While some sites have encouraged people to continue renting items for all those
Zoom meetings we’ve been having, it’s a difficult sell considering the price point. It
costs up to £170 to rent a Ganni dress for one week for example, and £72 to rent
four items a month from Rent the Runway. “A lot of the items are still fairly
B R I TA I N
expensive even though you rent them, but the idea would be you’re going to a
wedding or event,” says Chana Baram, senior retail analyst at market research firm
Mintel. “Why would anyone be renting clothes right now?”
Tackling hygiene concerns

Hygiene is also another major concern during the current pandemic. Clear health
and safety guidelines are essential, particularly when it comes to peer-to-peer
platforms such as Hurr, where lenders send clothes directly to renters. “It’s a
requirement for any item that’s listed on Hurr to be dry cleaned professionally by
the lender,” Prew explains, adding that Hurr directly manages the dry cleaning for
items rented through its concierge service. “We are doing everything that we can
[from a health and safety perspective] in tandem with government guidelines.”
While it is not currently known what temperature kills coronavirus, the CDC says
that flu viruses are killed by temperatures above 167 degrees; it recommends clothes
are laundered at the highest-appropriate temperature setting.
B R I TA I N
A woman works in the automated sortation section at Rent the Runway’s “Dream Fulﬁllment Center” in New
Jersey, September 2019.
© Photography Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Despite the strict protocols in place, customers may still be put off by the thought of
sharing clothes with somebody else at the moment — a worry that rental sites will
also have to address beyond the pandemic. “The hygiene factor will really need to be
looked into,” Baram comments. “There needs to be very clear signage on websites to
explain why this is not an issue.”
The long-term future of rental

B R I TA I N
While rental has been hit hard during international lockdowns, there are already
positive signs that the sector is recovering. YCloset in China has seen the numbers
of people renting increase since lockdown measures were eased at the end of March.
“With the gradual return to work, [renting] is also gradually picking up,” says
founder and executive director Mengyuan Liu.
Some rental companies may also look at shifting their current models following the
pandemic. YCloset, which is backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, added resale to
its services in September 2019, for example. “At present, the secondhand luxury
trade is developing rapidly,” Liu comments. Resale saw a huge uptick following the
2008 recession, as shoppers who were short on cash looked for more value for
money — and the same is predicted amid the economic downturn caused by Covid-
19.
It’s hoped that rental could also become increasingly popular post-pandemic,
particularly as it could provide an additional source of income for some users. Hurr
Collective has already started encouraging people to list their garments online,
considering so many of us are sorting through our closets right now. “People now
have the time to detox their wardrobes,” Prew explains. “For the past few weeks,
we’ve financially incentivised people to list their wardrobes, where if you list three
items you’re given £15 credit, and if you list five verified items you’re given £20
credit.”
The stripped-back lifestyle we’ve all become accustomed to since the pandemic
began is likely to have a long-term effect on our shopping habits. Sustainability is
expected to remain a huge concern — meaning the rental model, as an alternative to
buying new clothes outright, is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. “My personal
view is that people are going to be more conscious than ever about their fashion
footprint,” Prew adds. “I’m hopeful rental will do well [after] this.”
More from British Vogue:

B R I TA I N
Inside Bebe Rexha’s Home For a Perfect Night In | B…

B…
FAS H I O N C O R O N AV I R U S
Vogue Recommends
M I S S VO G U E
7 Gen-Z Women On The Unparalleled Joys Of
Second-Hand Shopping
BY N A O M I P I K E
N E WS B R I TA I N
Will Covid-19 Create An Altruistic Economy?
BY A M E L I A A B R A H A M 2 1 M A R C H 2 0 2 0
A RTS & L I F EST Y L E

Who Are The Women Leading Fashion’s
Sustainable Revolution?
BY E M I LY C H A N
# G E T YO U R G R E E N S
How Covid-19 Permanently Altered One Fashion
Student’s Deﬁnition Of Sustainability
BY A L I C E C A RY 2 4 A P R I L 2 0 2 0
E D I T I O N B R I BTAR II NTA I N
CN Traveller
Glamour
GQ
House & Garden
Johansens
LOVE
Tatler
Vanity Fair
Wired
World of Interiors
Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement
Code of Conduct
Terms & Conditions
Contact
Editorial Complaints Policy
Careers
Newsletter
Subscribe
Cookie preferences
© 2020 Condé Nast

Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19 - British Vogue

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19 - British Vogue

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

5/20/2020 Will We Still Be Renting Clothes After Covid-19?

© Photography Jamie Stoker

Will The Fashion Rental Market Ever Recover

© Photography Jamie Stoker

Tackling hygiene concerns

The long-term future of rental

More from British Vogue:

Inside Bebe Rexha’s Home For a Perfect Night In | B…

A RTS & L I F EST Y L E

© 2020 Condé Nast

S-ar putea să vă placă și