New Dress Rent invites us to rent luxury clothes for a sustainable future
By Pia King
Circularity in fashion is taking on more and more forms and renting clothes is one of them. New Dress Rent, the Argentine clothing rental platform, proclaims itself in this sense. Although this modality is not a novelty, it is an alternative that maintains its validity as we lean towards more conscious consumption. Just as buying re-sale, vintage or pre-owned clothing is part of the 'new normal', the idea of renting clothes for one-off events is too.
By Pia King
All things considered, this idea makes more and more sense in the context we are going through. Many times we find ourselves faced with the need to buy clothes knowing that we will give them little use, since we will only use them for a certain event, or maybe two. And what happens most of the time is that we feel conditioned to buy a garment looking for it to be as timeless as possible so that it lasts over time, for this very reason. This is where the idea of renting clothes becomes an interesting alternative to avoid.
There are different models that propose renting clothes as a sustainable alternative. Guided by the R's of fashion –recycle, reduce and reuse– these platforms lead the way in circular fashion. Rent the Runway, for example, has been operating for several years as a subscription rental platform, whereby one has a certain number of garments per month as well as renting for a particular event. In the same way, the English platform Rotaro also specializes in the rental of (luxury) designer pieces for a limited time. In Argentina, New Dress Rent proclaims that renting luxury clothing is also possible within Latin America.
What is New Dress Rent?
Inspired by these international clothing rental platforms, Argentine designer Romina Pigretti launched her own in 2019 in her native Argentina. Under the motto of 'democratizing luxury through a new form of sustainable consumption', New Dress Rent seeks to promote the circular fashion model through luxury fashion garments that encourage women to wear them at their events. With a catalog of garments that includes names such as Stella McCartney, Ganni, Dolce & Gabbana or Paco Rabanne, Pigretti seeks that each selected piece can have more than one particular use and accompany as many women as want to wear them.
Within the platform, New Dress Rent has a selection of garments available for rent and others for purchase. Dresses, jumpsuits and luxury handbags, specially chosen to elevate the looks of any event, are some of the pieces that can be found in this store.
What are the values promoted by New Dress Rent?
The key to this platform is in the re-use of garments through recycling, offering a selection of garments, curated by Pigretti herself, which tries to break away from the classic standards of party wear. The idea is that its customers can find unique pieces, at a much lower cost than buying new ones, allowing them to propose more varied and fun styles, preventing them from buying new garments, reducing the waste of resources that is lost in the garments of a only use.
The most interesting thing about New Dress Rent, and the platforms for renting clothes in general, is the possibility of wearing different styles, which if we had to buy them, we might not wear them. In addition, there is the possibility of giving garments a continuous life, especially party clothes that usually have limited use. It is simply a matter of making the purpose of clothing manifest itself: that of being used to adorn the body.
By Pia King
Where is New Dress Rent located?
You can find the New Dress Rent showroom in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There they work by appointment, although you can also check their website to see the available clothes.
