As many major fashion brands move into (or try to, anyway) a more sustainable stage of their lifespans, fashion rental brands are slowly but steadily catching up. One particular start-up called Style Theory is making waves by making luxury fashion accessible and sustainable – don’t miss it.
Source: Flipboard.com
Originally founded in 2016, Style Theory is a fashion rental company owned by 32-year-old Singaporean couple Chris and Raena. Finding themselves frustrated and disappointed with the ever-growing fast fashion industry, they decided to take matters into their own hands. As is the case with virtually every fast fashion retailer, they mass produce clothing that imitates the style and aesthetic of the more unattainable, high-fashion brands. The concept of ‘fast’ gets its name from the fact that these are quickly discarded as the trends inevitably come and go.
Lim and Halim’s goal is to put a sort of ‘doorstop’ on this – instead of buying cheap garments that will realistically not have a long life, Style Theory invites consumers to ‘rent’ carefully handled high-fashion garments for as long as they like, returning them when they no longer have any need for them, and so on. Due to the fact that the average consumer will not be able to afford many high-fashion pieces (and those that do will realistically only wear them a handful of times), this system allows them to reuse and recycle each individual piece, giving it a new life each time it’s worn. Brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Yves Saint Laurent are uploaded onto Style Theory’s platform for users to pick and buy or rent what they like. It’s a triple win for them, as well – by utilizing Style Theory’s digital wardrobe, they not only get to wear unique pieces for a realistic price and amount of time, but also keep up with current trends and be sustainable at the same time.
Since its launch in 2016, Style Theory has quickly grown into what could be considered East Asia’s largest and most successful fashion rental platform. From suits, handbags and all sorts of apparel, Style Theory’s technology helps make sure that the items being uploaded to its digital wardrobe are 100% authentic.
Check out Style Theory at: https://www.styletheory.co/sg/
Source: CNBC
