British start-up The Devout is urging consumers to do “fashion
\ndifferently” with the launch of what they are calling the UK’s first
\nfashion rental subscription, offering a monthly service to help counteract
\nthe throwaway nature of the fast fashion industry.<\/p>\n
The monthly subscription service is tapping into consumers desires for
\nmore sustainable fashion choices, offering British shoppers five items from
\neveryday essentials to high-end party wear, which can be swapped at the end
\nof the month for five fresh items.<\/p>\n
Launching on June 18, The Devout will offer designer and everyday
\nmenswear and womenswear to rent every month, from brands including
\nWhistles, Selected Homme, Selected Femme, Levi’s, Tommy Jeans, Calvin Klein
\nJeans, Jack and Jones, Farah, Original Penguin and vintage Ralph Lauren.
\nWith more brands, vintage and independent fashion labels to be announced
\nwhen the service launches. <\/p>\n
The service is aimed at “fashion-savvy” men and women in their 20s and
\n30s, explained the start-up, and will cost 79 pounds a month while
\nproviding up to 500 pounds worth of designer casual, workwear, loungewear
\nand eveningwear. <\/p>\n
The Devout members get to pick five new items or choose to keep some
\npieces for longer, and there is also the option to buy the pieces they
\nlove. In addition, washing, ironing, quality checking and insurance against
\nlight damage are all included in the monthly fee, and no contract means
\nconsumers can pause or stop the service easily. <\/p>\n
Once the clothes can no longer be rented, they’ll be put in the outlet
\nfor sale, and any unsold items passed on to The Devout’s charity
\npartner, Shelter. The items will then be sold in Shelter’s charity shops to
\nraise funds to help fight against homelessness. <\/p>\n
The idea is to present fashion “differently and for the better,” to
\nallow consumers to move away from an “over-reliance on fast fashion towards
\na subscription-based rental model, where pieces are worn and returned,”
\nexplained the fashion brand, in response to research prior to Covid-19 that
\n350,000 tonnes of clothes, with an estimated value of 140 million pounds,
\nwent to landfill every year in the UK. <\/p>\n