Forking out on designer labels and it-handbags is sport for some. But for many others – including Eshita Kabra-Davies – buying into fashion trends and luxury design comes with a side of eco-guilt and wallet pain. In 2019 Kabra-Davies packed in her finance job to launch By Rotation, a website and app that allows users to rent both high-end and high-street fashion. And, for the past year, it’s plied its (rental) wares in a colourful boutique in Mayfair.
Though the store is temporary (currently slated to run until the end of the year), it feels as permanent as any other boutique. Plush green lounges punctuate the space, with designer dresses and spangly tops swinging from hanging racks, and illuminated shelves displaying heels and handbags. While shoppers aren’t making a permanent investment, the experience is still akin to shopping in a classic boutique.
“We wanted the space to feel like an extension of the app: fresh, modern and welcoming, but also a little playful,” Kabra-Davies tells Broadsheet. “It’s about discovery: walking in and feeling inspired by what you might try next.”
Renters can choose from a range of designers, including Tom Ford’s Gucci and Chanel suiting from its 2023 cruise collection. There’s also a prodigious number of archival Lulu Guinness bags. Zimmermann, Self-Portrait, the Vampire’s Wife and 16Arlington are some of the most popular choices among renters for occasion wear, but high-street brands like Realisation Par and Saks Potts are also sought after for more casual outings. Renters pay a daily rate: a Chanel bag might cost from £100 a day, a Zimmermann dress could set you back around £30 per day. And championing under-the-radar independent designers is also important to Kabra-Davies.
“Labels like PatBo, Mithridate, Retrofete have such distinct styles and having them on the app introduces these designers to people who may not have been able to try them otherwise,” she says. “Hopefully [it] sparks a long-term love of the brands themselves.”
For those who are hesitant to rent rather than buy, Kabra-Davies has some advice: “Start small. Rent a bag for a weekend away or a dress for a dinner party. You’ll quickly realise how fun and seamless the process is, and how satisfying it feels to wear something new without the commitment.”
By Rotation
31 Brook Street, W1K 4HF
Hours:
Thu to Sun midday–6pm
