Rent frock Repeat

By Natalie Ast

Last night at the Spoke Club, fashionable attendees sipped on “frocktinis” while live models wearing designer dresses mingled throughout the crowd.  The event celebrated the launch of Rent frock Repeat, a new online service that allows women to rent designer dresses for special occasions at a fraction of the retail price.

There are a few websites stateside that have a similar concept, but Rent frock Repeat operates exclusively in Canada. Co-founders Lisa Delorme and Kristy Wieber said the idea came about a year ago when they needed dresses for a wedding. They looked at similar business models in the United States and realized there was room where they could reach a different target market. The site is geared for women that are looking for a special evening dress; with over 20 designers and frocks from the current runway season, there are looks for anyone.

Customers can rent a dress online with the user-friendly site that lets you search by designer, colour, style, sleeve and hem length, occasion and body type—making shopping for a dress painless, which was important to Delorme and Wieber.  And you don’t have to breathe over ruining a designer dress either, “We know life happens, and we take care of the dry cleaning,” says Delorme.  A $5 insurance fee also covers any stains or mishaps, and they let you order a backup size for free.   

For designer Wesley Badanjak of LOVAS, his experience with Rent frock Repeat was positive as well. Badanjak says that the company bought his dresses outright, and he thinks it’s a great way to get his line to women in Canada who can’t buy it in stores. “It’s not just about bringing in the designers that no one has here in Canada, but looking at the talent that is here in Canada and giving women access to that talent,” says Wieber. 

Giving customers access to luxury is what seems to drive Rent frock Repeat. From renting handbags to bikes, renting is a growing trend that is cost-effective and good for the environment (and the feng shui of your wardrobe). Delorme says, “People are beyond just wanting to own something, it’s about the experience. So I think this allows them to still have the experience and not the stuff.”