Innovation in Shoreditch: Interview with Rentez-Vous Co-founder Fiona Disegni

G: Tell us about the project

Rentez-Vous is a new Paris-London concept born to shake up girls’ wardrobes.
We -girls- have all the same problem: our wardrobe is full of clothes and we have always nothing to wear! However, our wallet can’t follow our desires and we often remain frustrated. However, so many of our still-very-nice clothes are dying in our wardrobe…and this is about £500 wasted for each of us! Instead of buying and getting bored, why not renting other girls’ clothes?  This idea started after my stay in Singapore when I was picking all my roommates’ clothes. Coming back to Paris, I realized that I had half of the clothes I thought and that there should be a service allowing us simply to get new clothes!

Mixing “rent” and “rendez-vous”, Rentez-Vous are unique girls’ afterworks that connect girls through their wardrobes. Every time in a different flat, girls come with their own clothes to let and can rent other girls’ ones for two weeks and at affordable prices. They can also have a drink and meet new people in a light-hearted atmosphere. Indeed, beyond clothes, Rentez-Vous is all about getting new experiences and connecting differently. Of course, the environmental dimension is critical: our goal is to prevent people from wasting resources by finding new alternatives to traditional shopping habits.

G: What were your most successful events so far or what event did you enjoy the most so far?

We started our first Rentez-Vous in Paris in September and, since then, we organized four events there. Our first official Rentez-Vous in London will be this Friday in Shoreditch! Girls love the Rentez-Vous as it is also a way for them to escape from daily life and get a unique shopping experience. We were invited to take part in a conference with the 10 most interesting French collaborative consumption start-ups and it was a unique moment for us. Moreover, we were interviewed by TV5 Monde, a French-speaking TV channel, for a documentary about collaborative consumption which remains a great memory as well.

G: What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing this project?

My most memorable experience remains my very first Rentez-Vous when I met Alex, who is my business partner today. I didn’t know her and she arrived with a huge luggage of clothes! She was passionate with the concept. I rented a dress from her that I finally bought it from her. It became my lucky dress and it has a great success at any Rentez-Vous!

G: Why do you choose Shoreditch to run your events?

Even more than Paris, London, and specifically Shoreditch, is the place I designed Rentez-Vous for. Living in the area during the last 6 months, I fell in love with the area, its people, its energy and its audacity. This boldness drove me and I wanted to capture this dynamism and this move by creating a service that would be directly connected to people’s way of life and state of mind. Based on open-mindedness and audacity, Rentez-Vous is for me the perfect embodiment of Shoreditch’s spirit.

G: Who/what are your favorite Artists/Businesses in the area?

In terms of artists, I would say street art artists such as Jana & JF and Moon. The businesses I particularly like are Housebites, a Chefs delivery food startup I know well and Aubin & Wills, the concept store with their cinema.

G: What are your favorite places in Shoreditch?

I love to work at the Old Shoreditch Station, have my Sunday brunch at Breakfast Club, have a cocktail drink at Book Club, listen jazz at Troy bar and dance at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen!

G: What does the future has in store for Shoreditch?

Rentez-Vous, is here to say! And this starts on Friday! ;)

Link of the event: http://www.facebook.com/events/403770856359939/

Find us:

Website: www.rentez-vous.com

Twitter:  @rentezvous

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rentez-Vous/346563802100709