Rent the Runway, the online service known for allowing women to rent luxury items at a fraction of the price, opened it’s first physical location Thursday. Through a collaboration with Henri Bendel, Rent the Runway has opened a 1,400 square-foot showroom, on the second floor of Bendel’s flagship location at Fifth Avenue in New York.
The showroom allows women to try on dresses and accessories prior to renting with the help of personal stylists, aptly named the “Go-to-Girl”. Rent the Runway has created an interactive experience by allowing customers to create a profile with their dress size, and favorite shapes and styles. Walk-ins are welcome, but customers may book appointments online as well. Women can shop for anything from work events to weddings, with designers like Badgley Mischka and Vera Wang. As usual, customers can send their rentals back in Rent the Runways’s pre-paid mailing envelope, or simply return them to the showroom.
The website also gives customers the option to upload looks to their “virtual closet” prior to their appointment, to assist their Go-to-Girl in finding the perfect dress for their event. Each fitting room is equipped with an iPad that is used to add dresses to a customer’s virtual closet, and she can then add notes for future rentals.
“It’s become clear to us at Rent the Runway that our customer is the true go-getter girl – she is smart and busy; she loves fashion but wants it easily and at the highest level of service,” said Jennifer Hyman, CEO and Co-founder of Rent the Runway. Henri Bendel is the perfect partner for us to innovate offline as they are also known for the spectacular customer experiences they offer through their stores,” Hyman said.
In celebration of its grand opening, Rent the Runway at Henri Bendel will host a series of “Girls Night Out” events to include complimentary nail services and makeovers.
For more information on the showroom and booking appointments with a personal stylist, visit renttherunway.com/henribendel
-Briana Utria
Image courtesy of Rent the Runway
