Can rental fashion democratize vintage clothing?
After the pandemic hit the world of clothing rental savagely. Now, the market is booming like never before as concept stores like Mini-Me in Kochi is renting the high fahion including the traditonal Kachivaram, vintage sarees and recycled clothing for various occasions.
The business of renting clothes is not new in India but the pandemic has propelled the idea of sustainable fashion like anything, now renting attires has attracted curiosity even for occasions other than weddings, which can certainly bring handcrafted clothing to a large audience.
The concept store in Kochi called Mini me is opened recently in August 2021, it seems to have been working on the idea of Buy less, rent more. According to the founder Thara George, “It’s part of ethical fashion and good for the planet because i incorporated the concept of reusability. Thara opened the store in, along with designer Vandana Vinod, who has long been recycling export surplus fabrics and now rents vintage saris, mostly kanjeevarams.
Thara saw the dearth of branded clothes in the retail space. She thought, here’s what she can offer to people looking for luxury wear.
Besides renting out high label clothing like H&M, Zara, Gap, Louis Vuitton to gratify our irrepressible longing for brands, there are heirloom saris and hence clients need to handle it with care. They put out a range of kids clothing too, with a motive to propagate the idea of renting kids’ clothes, instead of purchasing exorbitantly priced ready- or tailor-made ones.
The new store has gained tremendous response has been exciting for this duo. Many have inquired about accessories, says Thara who has a range of shoes on rent too. It is rather in the interest of the underprivileged who could not afford it.
Clothes-rental businesses can be seen as the solution to the problem of fast-fashion consumption as somebody needs to try to turn off the tap.
Pics by Thara George
