A UK online fashion rental company, founded in 2018 by Isabella West in Newcastle, offering occasion wear, ski wear and wedding outfits for hire.
Hirestreet lets customers rent clothes instead of buying them. It is best known for outfits for occasions that come up only once or twice a year: weddings, parties, ski trips and similar events. In a 2022 interview the company said the average rental cost about £30, and that weddings were the most popular category. It also offers a white-label technology service called Zoa, which lets other brands run their own rental services, and has worked with retailers including Marks and Spencer. A trade newspaper headline also says the company bought a competitor, though we did not read that article.
Hirestreet was founded in May 2018 by Isabella West, an economics graduate from Newcastle upon Tyne, who started it with her own savings from her parents' basement. In her words, "we wanted to provide a sustainable and affordable alternative to fast fashion". She noticed that sustainable brands are often too expensive for many shoppers, so she aimed for prices close to those of fast fashion. Ms West explains the environmental case simply: she says about 90 per cent of a polyester dress's carbon footprint comes from making it, so sharing a garment between several wearers spreads that cost. She also says renting is best for things people wear only occasionally, not for everything.
The company began in Newcastle and Ms West says the local community was supportive in the early days. She believes launching in London would have felt lonelier. Its customers are concentrated in London and Manchester, according to the same interview. The interview does not say where the company is headquartered today, and we did not read any more recent page, so check its website for where its teams work now.
On culture, Ms West says little about the team in the pages we read, but she praises the team's work on a launch timed with the COP26 climate summit. She is open about the challenges of being a young woman founder in a male-dominated industry. Her typical customer, she says, is a 28-year-old working woman who goes to many events, watches her budget and wants to act responsibly. Those are her own descriptions. The company presents sustainability as an extra benefit rather than the first reason people rent, and says price matters most to its customers.
Rental businesses need a mix of people. Operations and logistics staff manage stock, cleaning and delivery; technology staff build the website and the Zoa platform; buying and brand teams choose and negotiate with labels; marketing and customer service teams look after renters. If you enjoy fashion with a practical, business side, this is a way to see how circular fashion works. Because the main source is from 2022, check the company's website for its current activity.
Website: www.hirestreet.co.uk
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