Renting out fashion

Our superstars in the industry appear dressed to the nines at every public event they attend, be it film awards, promotions, fashion shows, launches, cocktail parties, wedding dos, you name it. While many would be tempted to raid their wardrobes, turns out that more often than not, what we see an Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or a Kareena Kapoor donning at a particular event, may not be something they own. Some of these luxury floor sweeping gowns or cocktail dresses, priced anywhere from Rs 1 lakh going up to Rs 4 lakh, are actually sourced from luxury rental services for rates that start from around Rs 2,500 per occasion. Currently with the awards season and the fashion season at its peak, it’s a great time for these rentals.

However, Shilpa Bhatia, who runs one such service, The Clothing Rental, says that dull seasons are rare in this business — only good seasons and peak seasons.

While dealing with stars, there are of course many dos and don’ts. For instance, stars will never wear clothes that have been worn previously. So they have to ensure that fresh pieces go to them. “The events are many. It would be for promotional events or a brand endorsement. And if the stars are A-listers we make sure it’s always a brand new piece for them. We have styled Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Nargis Fakhri, Alia Bhatt to name a few,” Shilpa says, adding, “Also, for them it’s crucial that they don’t repeat an outfit.” It had happened once, not very long ago when Sonam Kapoor and Athiya Shetty made separate appearances in what appeared to be the same outfit and at that time Athiya’s outfit was sourced from Shilpa. The style teams of both actresses were at the receiving end.

Among some of the most famous outfits rented from her store are Kareena’s ravishing Golden Ports 1961 gown at a brand event and Urvashi Rautela’s shimmering Jovani outfit at an awards function. Occasionally, stars rent an outfit and then end up purchasing it too. “Katrina Kaif had once, rented a luxury golden floor-sweeping gown and then cut it in half to make it a short dress. The gown was considered sold,” Shilpa says. Minor wear and tear in the business is permissible, but if the outfit is damaged beyond that, they consider it sold, “You can’t spill a glass of wine on an outfit. That stain will remain forever,” she adds.

Shilpa sources the clothes mostly from New York, Milan, Paris and Hong Kong. For Indian brands and designers I prefer shopping here. For jewellery it has to be Jaipur. Kitsch in Mumbai has some amazing Stella McCartney gowns and I usually pick stuff from there as well,” Shilpa says. One can rent a Carmen Marc Volvo ethereal gown for only Rs 2,500-Rs 3000, or a cocktail dress by BCBG for anywhere between Rs 800 to Rs 1,200, while men’s suits like Hugo Boss and Armani range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.

Shilpa says, “The gap in the business is close, people rent stuff because they know they cannot afford to buy it. Recovering the cost takes time though. If I buy a gown worth Rs 30,000, I’ll have to rent it 10 times to recover the cost before I start making profits. We also have to look after the maintenance of the garment. I remember purchasing a gown worth Rs 4 lakh and there were no takers how do I recover that money?” she points out.