Over the last 20 years, we have seen a 400% increase in the demand for clothes, many of which come from fast fashion retail, with an average 40% of garments left unworn and hanging in wardrobes across Europe. These shocking figures have resulted in an estimated €443 billion per year in global waste, so it is no surprise that the unique and highly favourable concept of designer rental has never been more welcomed. Paving the way for this en vogue way of sustainable style is industry trailblazers and Irish brand, Rag Revolution.
With the fight against fast fashion a core interest to many, Irish born and bred designer dress rental brand Rag Revolution is trailblazing the industry on the Emerald Isle and afar. Founded in 2019 by Tipperary native, Edel Lyons, who has recently been appointed chair of Women in Digital by Digital Business Ireland, Rag Revolution’s carefully curated, premium dress rental offerings allows their fashionable followers stay on top of the trends with unique pieces available at a fraction of their retail price, giving the option to don high-end attire for key life events without splashing the cash, and saving on that much-coveted wardrobe space!
With pieces previously worn by TV Presenter Laura Whitmore, Singer Una Healy, Former Miss Universe Ireland Roz Purcell and Celebrity Stylist Clementine MacNeice to name but a few of the many supportive followers, Rag Revolution’s rent and wear model allows customers to easily rent a piece from an extensive online catalogue, available for either 3 or 7 days. Once they’ve donned their fabulous guna, the item is collected right from their front door and returned, ready to be cleaned using non-chemical wet methods and available to rent for the next fashionable foray.
When speaking about Rag Revolution, founder Edel Lyons said, “Our mission is to make the fashion industry more sustainable, which is at the core of everything we do. Our love of fashion and desire to be seen in something new shouldn’t cost the earth, and that is why we wanted to provide a centralised platform where customers can rent, buy re-worked one-of-a-kind pieces, and in the future resell, allowing easy access to ethical and luxury brands from across the world.”
Designers on hand include Rotate, Rixo, Ganni, Aje, Needle & Thread, Bec + Bridge, Ghost, Queens Of Archives, Olivia Rubin, Sister Jane, Shona Joy, Reformation, Sleeper, La Semaine Paris and Kitri to name but a few. The vast array of rental offerings are available from www.theragrevolution.com and priced between €49.99 to €90, depending on whether you choose a 3-day or 7-day rental period, with new items added every season.
