Just in time for Fashion Week, Rent The Runway is introducing their very first freestanding store to New York. Come September 3rd, Flatiron will be the home to a 1,700 square-foot boutique stocked with dresses and accessories from over 200 labels, ready to be borrowed. Currently, the five-year old online destination has a few spots where you can experience the rental service in person, like their pop-up at Henri Bendel, which will shutter on August 31st, and their shop in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. This is the first space that will be dedicated solely to Rent The Runway, and thus it will offer a handful of additional services like a personal stylist, onsite tailoring on Thursdays and Fridays, and personal styling packages for events and weddings. Other in-store perks will include the option to return a four- or eight-day rental directly back to the store and dressing rooms stocked with iPads, so you can try on a dress and reserve it for future occasions.
Just last month, the site announced a new accessories initiative, which allows users to have three designer items out on loan for as long as they desire. This service also coincided with a total revamp of their website, logo and all. The new branding will be reflected in the store’s decor, with a navy and blush color scheme throughout. And aside from those pleasant hues, the entire store will be organized by color, trend, and occasion. Rent The Runway co-founder and CEO Jenn Hyman told The Daily: “We’re thrilled to be opening our first freestanding store in one of NYC’s shopping meccas. Retail is an incredibly effective way to attract new customers to our brand and deliver them one-on-one styling so that we can introduce them to our over 200 amazing designers. Our aim is to use retail to re-invent the service and technology experience of a traditional store so that customers leave with knowledge of everything they should be renting this season.” Happy renting, New York!
