Style With Substance – Episode Four Is Renting The Future Of Fashion?

All Images: Hurr Collective

In Episode 4 of Style With Substance we explore whether renting is the future of fashion. Join our discussion with Hurr Collective’s Victoria Prew to discover the truth behind renting your wardrobe. 

Episode 4 – Show Notes

Welcome back to episode four as we continue to discuss the Myths and greenwashing that surround Sustainable Fashion. This week we discuss the phenomenon that is renting and whether it could be the secret to a more sustainable wardrobe. We’re thrilled to have as our guest this week, Victoria Prew, Co Founder of Hurr Collective. Launched last year, Hurr Collective showcase an intelligent and lustworthy selection of clothing that you can rent from other people’s wardrobes.

“At Hurr, we are trying to democratise luxury fashion.” Victoria Prew, Hurr Collective

Hurr Collective have kindly offered listeners of Style With Substance a discount off their first rental. Use offer code THEVENDEURNEW5 for £5 off first rental.* 

The Rental Revolution 

In 2019 alone 5 fashion rental platforms launched in the UK, hot on the heels of US success story Rent the Runway. Just as Uber and Air bnb have changed the way we view ownership of big things like cars and houses, it was inevitable that fashion would follow suit. Renting has proved an attractive antithesis to buying clothes. According to Hubbub, 41% of all 18-25-year-olds feel the pressure to wear a different outfit every time they go out – rising to 47% for young women. One in six young people even say that they don’t feel they can wear an outfit again once it’s been seen on social media. This rate of enormous consumption is not sustainable so we need another option. Renting provides a practical answer to this conundrum. Not only is it relatively cheap but it allows us to wear an item of clothing once and send it back without it ending up in an incinerator or in landfill. It also allows consumers to experiment with new brands, styles and trends without the commitment or the guilt. 

Hurr Collective 

To find out more we speak to Victoria Prew, Co Founder of Hurr Collective. Launched in 2018, Hurr have been a huge success story in the world of rental. Consumer perceptions of renting have changed hugely in a small space of time, Victoria told us. And this was only emphasized by Selfridge’s inviting Hurr Collective to do a pop up. Uniquely it was the first time the department store has given over space to a rental brand. It’s a huge vote of confidence in renting that the pop up was a success. Victoria says that the brilliant thing about renting with Hurr is that you can rent amazing sold of cult pieces right through to vintage one offs. ‘A huge part of what we are trying to do is to help people reconnect with their clothes.’ 

Is Renting More Sustainable 

We also discuss the environmental advantages, and disadvantages of renting. Borrowing between people mean that the clothes have to be cleaned. However dry cleaning is a very damaging industry. So Hurr encourage users to utilise environmentally friendly cleaners such as Blanc Living. In order to get your clothes where they need to be, delivery services need to be used. Hurr are trying to minimise this tax on the environment by incorporating a geo tagging facility into the website. This allows users to meet in person if this is an option and eliminates the need for couriers.

By meeting each other people are bonding over a piece of clothing they both love. ‘We’ve seen photos of people sending notes to each other,’ Victoria says. ‘We’re helping users create connections between women and their clothes.’ Hurr was created to help make sustainability more democratic. ‘Its all about accessing things without having to commit to a purchase and we are smarter about the pieces we want to wear once vs what we want to wear season after season,’ Victoria explains. ‘In the future I believe we will build sustainable capsule wardrobes and rent those incredible pieces that give us a buzz.’ 
If you want to expand your rental horizons, there are so many different offerings available. Here are just a few of the other platforms that we love.  

  • ByRotation – a bit like Hurr, they are peer to peer and I love that I can start a conversation with the people I am renting from. The handy app allows you to rent and borrow in the easiest way possible, even on the go.  
  • Rotaro have a stunning range of Instagram worthy dresses with incredible brands like Reformation, Magie Marylin and The Vampires Wife. Right now they are turning their hand to fruit and veg delivery, well worth a look.  
  • Onloan – is a subscription service which means you can sign up and have a constant stream of newness each month. All you have to do is find enough places to wear it all! 
  • My Wardrobe HQ – have a huge range of designer pieces available to rent for any occasion. Plus if you can’t bear to part from a certain piece, you have the option to buy it at a fraction of the price. 
With thanks to our amazing guest Victoria Prew, Co Counder of Hurr Collective.  

Thank you to our episode sponsor Bolt Beauty. You can find the range over at Bolt-Beauty.com and follow them on Instagram @bolt.beauty 

Credits 

Host: Lucy Kebbell 

Theme created by Joe Murgatroyd  

*Valid through to September 2020

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