City Beat

Class work of Multimedia Reporting students

Clothing Rentals for NYC Fashionistas

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It used to be that when people thought of clothing rentals, they imagined horrific powder blue tuxedos and tacky prom dresses. Think again. A new era in clothing rentals now gives New Yorkers access to cutting-edge designs from every major label. Fashion showrooms such as Albright Fashion Library, located at 62 Cooper Square, have made people’s dreams of dressing like a fashionista a reality. “People can wear looks that were once worn by their favorite celebrity. We carry every major designer from Alaia to Zac Posen,” Marina Albright, daughter of founder Irene Albright, says of the company.

The showroom, which houses thousands of dresses, shoes and accessories, is a mecca for the fashion savvy. The library owns pieces worn by celebrities ranging from Madonna (remember that Jean Paul Gaultier Cone Bustier from her Blond Ambition Tour) to Sex and the City Star Sarah Jessica Parker to Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel.

Fashion rentals started with stylists who needed to pull clothing for photo, television and film shoots. Showrooms such as Albright came about as a sort of middle ground between the stylists and the fashion houses—they now had access to multiple designers all in one place. Originally just serving the entertainment industry, the showroom is now open to the general public and has been since the late 1990’s.

In today’s economy, a showroom like this has become essential for New York women. “The recession has really created a public demand for fashion rental showrooms. People don’t have the means to be spending thousands of dollars on clothing,” Irene Albright, founder of Albright Fashion Library, said of the sudden emergence of similar showrooms.

Indeed, many companies focusing on clothing rentals have opened not only in New York, but also in other parts of the country. People who normally wouldn’t be able to afford these high-end designs now have the chance to wear fabulous clothing without emptying their bank accounts. “As a twenty-something New Yorker, I have a lot of events to attend. It’s impossible to afford different looks for everything. At Albright, I can rent an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress, for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy it,” customer Julie Mulligan said.

Consultations at Albright begin at $250 and rentals, including the clothes, shoes, bag and other accessories, as well as dry-cleaning of the garments, run $1,000 per week.

Virtual showrooms such as New York-based renttherunway.com are another means of renting designer fashions. Every woman one time or another has felt the “I have nothing to wear moment.” Now, with the simple click of a button, women have access to designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price. This experience is one of online convenience—a woman can rent a Herve Leger dress, which retails for $1600, for just $150 and have it delivered the following day. Joining a virtual showroom such as renttherunway.com is simple—women can register and become a member of the site for free. To start, all a member has to do is enter the date that she would like to wear the dress on, enter her size specifications and shipping zip code and a list of available dresses will be constructed.
Additionally, members get a backup size for free, as well as a second dress option for just $25 more. This site is designed to help women who may have been contemplating purchasing a certain item the chance to wear that item at significantly less than the retail value.

Julie Mulligan, a 28- year-old architect who lives in Tribeca, got a chance to browse the racks at Albright, which were filled with thousands of shoes, ranging from Christian Louboutin, to Manolo Blahnik to Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the dresses, which are all arranged in alphabetical order by designer. One can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store—much the way one would if entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. “I walked in really excited about getting to try on all these different looks and was not disappointed. By the end, I felt like a princess,” Ms. Mulligan said of her experience. Feeling like a princess does come at a price. Rental fees may be steep, but just remember—you may be renting a $10,000 Marchesa gown, with $1,500 Jimmy Choo strappy sandals and a $2,000 Balenciaga clutch all for a tenth of the price of the gown. “If you saw Mila Kunis or Olivia Wilde in a dress that you absolutely fell in love with and had an occasion to wear it to, we could facilitate that dream for you,” Marina Albright said of the experience.

After trying on many different outfits, Ms. Mulligan opted for a short, strapless Marchesa lace cocktail dress, Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps, a Helmut Lang black coat and a Michael Kors clutch. “I am so happy with the look I chose. It has a very New York edge to it, while still being elegant. I also can wear some of the different items throughout the week, before I have to return everything. Overall, I had an amazing experience and will definitely be a return client.”

Fashion rentals started with stylists who needed to pull clothing for photo, television and film shoots. Showrooms such as Albright came about as a sort of middle ground between the stylists and the fashion houses—they now had access to multiple designers all in one place. Originally just serving the entertainment industry, the showroom is now open to the general public and has been since the late 1990’s.

In today’s economy, a showroom like this has become essential for New York women. “The recession has really created a public demand for fashion rental showrooms. People don’t have the means to be spending thousands of dollars on clothing,” Irene Albright, founder of Albright Fashion Library, said of the sudden emergence of similar showrooms.

Indeed, many companies focusing on clothing rentals have opened not only in New York, but also in other parts of the country. People who normally wouldn’t be able to afford these high-end designs now have the chance to wear fabulous clothing without emptying their bank accounts. “As a twenty-something New Yorker, I have a lot of events to attend. It’s impossible to afford different looks for everything. At Albright, I can rent an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress, for a fraction of the price it would cost to buy it,” customer Julie Mulligan said.
Consultations at Albright begin at $250 and rentals, including the clothes, shoes, bag and other accessories, as well as dry-cleaning of the garments, run $1,000 per week.
Virtual showrooms such as New York-based renttherunway.com are another means of renting designer fashions. Every woman one time or another has felt the “I have nothing to wear moment.” Now, with the simple click of a button, women have access to designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price.
This experience is one of online convenience—a woman can rent a Herve Leger dress, which retails for $1600, for just $150 and have it delivered the following day. Joining a virtual showroom such as renttherunway.com is simple—women can register and become a member of the site for free. To start, all a member has to do is enter the date that she would like to wear the dress on, enter her size specifications and shipping zip code and a list of available dresses will be constructed.
Additionally, members get a backup size for free, as well as a second dress option for just $25 more. This site is designed to help women who may have been contemplating purchasing a certain item the chance to wear that item at significantly less than the retail value.
Julie Mulligan, a 28- year-old architect who lives in Tribeca, got a chance to browse the racks at Albright, which were filled with thousands of shoes, ranging from Christian Louboutin, to Manolo Blahnik to Yves Saint Laurent, as well as the dresses, which are all arranged in alphabetical order by designer. One can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store—much the way one would if entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. “I walked in really excited about getting to try on all these different looks and was not disappointed,” “By the end, I felt like a princess.,” Ms. Mulligan said of her experience. Feeling like a princess does come at a price. Rental fees may be steep, but just remember—you may be renting a $10,000 Marchesa gown, with $1,500 Jimmy Choo strappy sandals and a $2,000 Balenciaga clutch all for a tenth of the price of the gown. “If you saw Mila Kunis or Olivia Wilde in a dress that you absolutely fell in love with and had an occasion to wear it to, we could facilitate that dream for you,” Marina Albright said of the experience.
After trying on many different outfits, Ms. Mulligan opted for a short, strapless Marchesa lace cocktail dress, Christian Louboutin black patent leather pumps, a Helmut Lang black coat and a Michael Kors clutch. “I am so happy with the look I chose. It has a very New York edge to it, while still being elegant. I also can wear some of the different items throughout the week, before I have to return everything. Overall, I had an amazing experience and will definitely be a return client.”

Final Project Ideas

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I have come up with two possible ideas for the final project. The first idea involves taking a look inside the fashion industry. There is a NYC renowned fashion staple, called Albright Fashion Library, that styles celebrities for events, as well as styling for movies, TV and commercial. It is unknown that it is open to the public. I want to center my report on what goes on at the Showroom, which gives the public “back stage access” to the insides of the fashion industry in NYC. I plan on interviewing employees and using multimedia to tell the showroom’s story. A picture gallery would be really effective, as well as video and maybe a timeline.

My second idea is to report on an exhibition at either The Frick Museum or the Jewish Museum of NY. Both have exhibitions that interest me greatly. The Frick has an exhibition called “Picasso’s Drawings,” which would be fun to report on. The only problem that may arise is whether pictures and video are allowed to be taken inside the museum. If I decide to go with this idea, I will conduct further research to see what can and can’t be done. At the Jewish Museum, there is an exhibition called, “Culture and Continuity–the Jewish Journey.” This is an 800 work collection that examines the Jewish experience as it has evolved. This would be of great interest to me. I can add the human factor by getting interviews with people that work at the museum, who may have great stories to tell. I would use video, a timeline, an audio slideshow and pictures to report this story.