<p><em>L'Officiel Philippines</em> pauses for a chat with Manila-based rental studio Vestido.</p>

<p>2020's global COVID lockdowns saw fashion's steady stream of events and parties grind to a halt, prompting the world's wardrobe choices to shift toward pajamas, sweats, and generally simpler options. Quarantine restrictions have undeniably affected the market for fashion rentals, but data appears to bet that pent-up demand for both much-missed social gatherings and conscious, sustainable dressing habits will boost post-pandemic business.</p>
<p>To cite a solid example, Jennifer Hyman, chief executive of popular platform Rent the Runway, told <em><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/business/rent-the-runway-clothing-covid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a></em> in a story published on May 25, 2021 that users were returning to the service in droves. "There has been a 92 percent increase in active subscribers &mdash; lured in part by recent discounts &mdash; and the number of customers was on track to outpace 2019 levels by the end of the year," the article said.</p>
<p>But, stepping back to examine the bigger picture, how will the pandemic affect the industry's future? We thought it best to consult the team behind Vestido, a Manila-based curated rental studio founded by Pam Quinones, Maica Salud-Tady, and Cindy Go Bayot, a trio of women with prolific backgrounds in fashion.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Beautiful is an understatement, too. The studio's steadily growing selection is often perused for special occasions, and many of the pieces are from under-the-radar labels, making for a stylish triple whammy: you make an earth-friendly choice, get a one-off party look, <em>and </em>discover a newer brand. Have a scroll through Vestido's website and find the likes of Cecilie Bahnsen and Orseund Iris, plus homegrown talents like Martin Bautista and Vania Romoff.</p>
<p>Here, <em>L'Officiel Philippines</em> discusses the ins and outs of pandemic-induced adjustment with Pam Quinones, also a well-known celebrity stylist, whose insights on the business marry fashion's cyclical nature and nature's need for care.</p>

<h5>With lockdown came the canceling of in-person events left and right. How did fashion rental adapt to this sudden change? What was the most difficult part of adjusting?</h5>

<p>With in-person events canceled, there was definitely a big dip in fashion rentals (for special occasions) in the first few months of the lockdowns. The numbers only started picking up closer to the holidays and have slowly been increasing each month, so we&rsquo;re really thrilled about this. What we&rsquo;ve really missed, though, is doing fittings with clients at the showroom, because that&rsquo;s really where the magic happens.</p>
<p>"However, pre-pandemic, we put up a stylist subscription program which allows accredited stylists to pull pieces from our closet as added wardrobe options for projects or fittings without the commitment of a full rental. Once a piece is chosen and used for a project, then it&rsquo;s considered a rental. We&rsquo;re happy to have a good roster of stylists in our program. And, fortunately, they have been regular rental clients even through last year&rsquo;s intense lockdowns.</p>

<h5>That stylist subscription program sounds really interesting. What else have you guys been up to during the pandemic?&nbsp;</h5>

<p>We have also diversified our offering by launching Vestido&rsquo;s little sister called Vend, a special place where you can buy fashion gems from yesteryears. We felt that at this time, some people are understandably wary of renting so we wanted to expand our offering.</p>
<p>"We have also launched our new jewelry line Burl&ocirc;, and our series of Vestido totes. We&rsquo;ve always wanted to augment our rental services with an accessory leg &mdash; something you can add on or wear flexibly with your rental, or with what you already have in your closet. That was the plan from the beginning. We&rsquo;ve toyed with the idea of jewelry rental for a bit, but we came to realize that jewelry is something very personal that people would like to wear often, every day even, making it not very ideal for rental. Burl&ocirc; is our first &ldquo;add-on&rdquo; to complete your full rental look with us. This is why we make each piece with timelessness and fun, versatile wearability in mind, with the help of our local artisans.</p>

<h5>What has your market looked like since the COVID pandemic hit? Has it shifted or changed? Who has been renting items from Vestido?</h5>

<p>There has been a slight shift, but the big change is that more stylists have come to rent for photoshoots. There were also a few weddings&hellip;and one girl was even proposed to in a Vestido rental! We were so delighted about that!</p>

<h5>Could you walk us through your safety protocols before and after the customer rents their selected pieces?</h5>

<p>Before and after every rental, each garment is professionally dry-cleaned and maintained by Vestido. We also take care of steaming and pressing the garments before they are delivered. Rigorous cleaning processes and quarantine measures are also in place at the showroom where all our pieces are safely stored. Our studio fittings are strictly by appointment only. We&rsquo;ve set up a structure that allows for only a minimum number of people at a time, with no schedule overlap to avoid crowding. Our staff members are fully vaccinated and never without a face mask and face shield. There are also sanitary stations in place inside the showroom.</p>
<p>"What has been quite popular is our home fitting service: you can choose up to five pieces to try on in the comfort of your own home for a minimal fee.</p>

<h5>Why do you think people still rent clothing even in a pandemic? Do you think the past year has given heightened importance to conscious, circular fashion?</h5>

<p>There is definitely more consciousness about the way we consume. More people are starting to ask questions now, instead of the usual mindless buying. The pandemic has caused a long pause, with most of us being home where there is less noise or distraction; people are starting to question their relationship with the things they buy and are demanding better, higher-quality products that don&rsquo;t wear down the planet and are produced via fair trade.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>"With everyone Marie Kondo-ing their closets and homes, they are faced with questions. <em>Why do I own so much that I don&rsquo;t want and need? Why do I have so much clutter?</em> These are simple triggers that make people want to start to change their habits. Statistics show that we only wear 30% of our wardrobe. Can you imagine the amount of clothes we never wear, just collecting dust in the back of our closets? So, it would be great if we move towards a curated wardrobe that reflects our personal style, fits well, flatters our body shape, <em>and</em> is made with the kind of quality that can stand the test of time. And, for one-off special occasions or trendy events, why not rent? At Vestido, our goal is to normalize renting &mdash; much of the fun of it is in discovering new designers and brands &mdash; while inspiring people to have an intentional closet.</p>

<h5>What does the pandemic mean for the future of fashion rental?</h5>

<p>More lockdowns mean more time at home, so it&rsquo;s a few things:</p>
<p>1. Decluttering will be more common, and people will want to sell or rent out pieces they no longer want to keep. We&rsquo;d love for people to unlock the potential of their wardrobe by consigning.</p>
<p>2. There will be far fewer in-person events, which means fewer OTT outfits, and more &ldquo;grounded glam&rdquo; looks. We are looking at expanding our brand and size offerings for this category.</p>
<p>3. As people seek more meaningful purchases and transactions, we feel that there will be a heightened conversation about our personal impact on the planet, our contribution to society, and our own well-being. This is why we think it&rsquo;s important for us at Vestido to continue the conversation, asking questions and learning about the small changes we can make.</p>

How Has the Pandemic Affected the Fashion Rental Business?

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