The
Fashion Revolution The fashion industry is in dire need of a sustainable makeover – and these pioneering London-based rental brands are leading the way to a greener future W o r d s LU C I A N A B E L L I N I I m a g e ROTA RO
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t’s no secret that the fashion industry is in crisis. By now, we’re all too aware of the devastating impact it’s having on the planet, as well as the depressing numbers that accompany that fact. The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater, sucking up more energy than both aviation and shipping combined. Globally, we consume 80 billion pieces of clothing every year and currently have enough clothes on the planet to dress the next six generations. Something has to change, and fast. Cue the fashion rental revolution: spearheaded by a group of super savvy, London-based female entrepreneurs, it’s set to change the way we dress and shop forever. The arrival of wardrobes for hire was the next logical step after the
phenomenal success of the sharing economy, which made household names out of Airbnb and Uber. If you’ll happily rent a stranger’s home or jump in their car, why not borrow their clothes? A chic crop of businesses letting you do just that soon landed on the scene, like Hurr, a platform that allows you to rent sought-after pieces from brands including Rixo, Ganni and Gucci, and My Wardrobe HQ, which features new and past season designer items straight from the closets of some of London’s most stylish women, such as Alice Naylor-Leyland and Poppy Delevingne.
While many of these brands have been around for a few years, the sector took on a new lease of life during the pandemic. As traditional retail went into freefall, the second-hand market was booming, partly as a reaction against fast fashion and partly down to the sense of community many of these apps and businesses fostered. Hurr reported an 850% year-on-year growth from the start of the pandemic, while peer-to-peer fashion rental app By Rotation has seen a 750% increase in bookings since the beginning of the year. Then there’s the ‘Carrie effect’, with many attributing the recent
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