Spotify for fashion: does renting clothes signal the end for our wardrobes?
The walk-in closet – once seen as an ultimate lifestyle trophy – could soon become obsolete, as rental and subscription services offer sustainable and more affordable access to brands such as Dior and Prada
Like many, I laboured under the misapprehension that Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater was the most beautiful house in the world until the day Mariah Carey opened her home to MTV Cribs. From that day onward, there was no contest. Now, that is what I call a palace. Never mind requesting 20 white kittens on your rider, never mind the off-colour penchant for sexy-elf costumes, Mariah will forever be a pop-culture goddess by dint of owning the best walk-in wardrobe the world has ever seen. If you haven’t seen it – and seriously, what have you been doing with your life since 2002? – suffice to say, there is an entire room just for ankle-strap sandals.
The walk-in wardrobe has been an ultimate lifestyle trophy for the living memory of many women. As Carrie Bradshaw once said, “I like my money where I can see it – hanging in my closet.” (Before Carrie had a walk-in wardrobe, she turned her hallway into a walk-through wardrobe.) But the latest fashion trend could one day make your wardrobe as anachronistic as built-in CD shelving. Welcome to the new age of the rented closet.
