Since yesterday, the second part of the so-called phase 2 has started, sanctioned by a new and fundamental step or the reopening of bars, restaurants, hairdressers, beauty centers and shops. A breath of fresh air for many activities that have stood still for more than two months and certainly for many it was not easy to start over, quite the opposite.
Even the fashion sector with the many activities that have suffered such a prolonged shutdown is suffering greatly, so much so that solutions are being studied that allow, not only to cope with the post-emergency crisis, but also to meet the multiple challenges related to sustainability.
For example, according to research by McKinsey & Company, revenue from the fashion sector will drop by 27-30% compared to 2019 and two are and will be the main concerns of employees: on the one hand, how to disinfect clothes and dressing rooms after each fitting, on the other, how to deal with the large quantities of goods accumulated in warehouses during this period.
The possible answer to these questions is fashion renting, a trend born overseas, but which for some time now has been increasingly popular in Italy. Thanks to the rental of clothes and accessories, in fact, it is possible to receive safe and disinfected garments directly at home, avoiding the queues in front of the shops, which will be forced to quota the influx of customers to protect their health.
We had already talked about fashion renting at the dawn of eco-à-porter (and I’m proud of it), interviewing Sara Francesca Lisot of VIC – Very Important Choice, a platform for sharing sustainable clothes and accessories (and now also for sale).
Another fashion renting start-up is DressYouCan, whose founder, Caterina Maestro says: “At this moment, fashion renting allows you to satisfy your need to wear new clothes in total safety. After long weeks spent at home, we all want to take off the track suit and opt for a nice dress that can make us feel better and help us return to normal. For many, however, the idea of entering a shop and trying on dressing room clothes can be unattractive, that’s why choosing an item online and receiving it at home, with the guarantee that it has been subjected to specialized washing, represents an excellent solution . Furthermore, rental can be seen as a way to reverse the course: fashion is facing an unprecedented crisis and, as highlighted also by great stylists, this situation must be seized as an opportunity to make the sector more sustainable, remedying a decade in which fast fashion reigned supreme. Fashion renting can also prove to be a lifeline for brands and contribute to a greener future, made of garments that can last over time and infinite and shared wardrobes. “
To certify the safety of fashion renting is the fact that each garment is sent to specialized dry cleaners before each shipment, thus guaranteeing that it is not contaminated by germs, viruses and bacteria. But not only for customers, fashion renting is a valid alternative also for brands, which will be able to sell the garments of the 2020 summer collection to fashion renters, a way not to give in to excessive discount policies or even to the destruction of entire stock. Much of these clothes, in fact, remained in the warehouses without being able to reach the stores in Italy and in most of the world due to the lockdown and this is how brands today are faced with huge quantities of unsold garments.
The danger, according to the report ‘The Business of Fashion, Coronavirus update’, is to indulge in a race to the downside of prices, a logic particularly dangerous for the luxury segment since it clashes with the need to preserve its image. The choice to opt for rental can allow brands to keep the value of the garments unchanged and still make them reach a large market. Finally, choosing the rental means making a conscious choice, helping to save a planet put to the test by the waste of textile material and the pollution produced by this industry.
Summarizing, therefore, here are the 5 reasons why fashion renting can be one of the post Coronavirus solutions:
- Washing in specialized dry cleaners certifies the safety of hired items
- Free yourself from the worry of washing and disinfecting clothes at home
- It allows to reduce expenses, ensuring low price
- It contributes to making the future of fashion greener
- It allows brands, both established and emerging ones, to give new life to unsold garments from the spring / summer 2020 collection
