There is no escaping the constant pressure of looking well-dressed -- whether to a friend’s wedding or a PTA your child’s school. So what does one do with expensive clothes that spend months in the closet? Most of wish we could wear the trendiest outfits without having to spend extravagantly. Yet these clothes end up back in the closet after we wear them a couple of times. That is where The Dress Bank comes to your rescue.
Set up by Deepa Kalro, The Dress Bank (https://www.facebook.com/thedressbank/), located in Koramangala, is a fashion rental venture. City-based Deepa, who also works as a freelance stylist, pursued fashion designing from JD Institute of Fashion Technology. Then she went on to head the marketing and sales team at Ritu Beri Designs, New Delhi, before The Dress Bank came to be.
“The Dress Bank was started two years ago to make sure you get to look different and trendy at every party without having to spend much,” says Deepa. “The Dress Bank stocks up on designer/branded outfit for any occasion. We give you the opportunity to hire luxury and designer outfits and accessories for a fraction of the retail price. You can try on your favourite outfit at our studio to ensure the best fit or we could even have it shipped to you. We are always adding the latest and trending outfits to our collection,” she states.
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Currently, they offer tuxedos, gowns,
The fashion entrepreneur says she is “happy with the response” she has received. “Be it for school/college graduations ceremonies, corporate fashion shows, weddings or parties, we are busy all-round the year. I also have the advantage of coming from a family that has been in the fashion retail industry for over 35 years. I also get a lot of advise from my husband who is a CFO of an e-commerce portal.”
“Since ours is a fairly new concept, the biggest challenge has always been creating awareness. About how it works, ensuring they know it is hygienic, explaining to them the necessity of a security deposit,” she explains.
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Deepa claims that they “are the only rental studio that gives you a store experience. You can visit the studio, browse over a 1,000 options, try your favourite styles and have them tailored to your exact measurements. If you have a style in mind that we don’t have in our collection yet, all you need to do is give us a few days and we will source it and add it to our collection. We don’t just rent out garments, we assist all clients on how to style the outfits and help them pair it with the right accessories too.”
“Apart from renting clothes, you can also list your clothes on rent too. I think this kind of arrangement might be our answer to urban living — reduced dunes of clothes means lesser need for storage in our homes and more space for us, with fuller wallets,” she adds.