G: Tell us about your business.
Girl Meets Dress is a disruptive eCommerce business with a mission to democratize luxury – believing that everybody deserves a Cinderella experience. We provide millions of women the ability to rent designer dresses and accessories for a fraction of the retail price, allowing them to look and feel beautiful for all of their special occasions.
The Girl Meets Dress story began in 2009 when I was working as UK PR Manager for French Luxury brand Hermes – and like my previous roles in the fashion industry, it involved lending the collection of dresses and accessories out on a daily basis to fashion magazines, shoots, celebrities and journalists…I thought to myself “wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all borrow dresses for just one event, and wear a different designer for every event in our calendar?”
When my co-founder Xavier and I looked into the market we saw that no one was doing it. We were the first company to rent luxury fashion online and it is wonderful that Girl Meets Dress is now pioneering the way for rental as a new and exciting ecommerce category of its own.
G: What is innovative about what you do?
We all have those pieces at the back of the wardrobe, bought for yet another wedding/party/job interview but then not worn more than once! Hiring a dress allows you to very easily wear more trend led, time-sensitive fashions, while continuing to invest only in those classic pieces which will stand the test of time. We currently have the largest selection of dresses and accessories from 200 designers from over 50 countires. Renting is the perfect retail cocktail for the customer which the fashion industry has been unable to provide until now – by spending the same as you would on a high street dress, women can now wear a designer dress to every event in their calendars.
G: Why do you choose Shoreditch to run your business?
Where better to build and scale an e-commerce business than the silicon valley of Europe. Startups are built by teams and networks of the smartest people in your field and east London is just that.
G: Who/what are your favorite CEOs/Businesses in Shoreditch?
Kathryn Parsons at Decoded is a fantastic business woman and has created a great company, as has Boyd Myers with Audience.io.
G: What are your favorite places in Shoreditch?
When I’m looking for a catch up with old friends over some good food I usually head to Pizza East. It’s a great choice and everyone is bound to find something they love on the menu. For drinks one of my favourite bars is Callooh Callay on Rivington Street, they’ve got some really impressive cocktails.
G: What does the future has in store for your business?
Without giving anything away, Girl Meets Dress is proving the potential to be huge! We have ambitious and exciting plans for the year ahead. We want to continue to grow the collection of stock, the team, and to innovate within the wider Fashion space. We will continue our leadership of this emerging space and be in a position to wow our customers in every way possible and to forge a brand and quality of service which women will wonder how they managed without, giving women access to the biggest closet in the world!
Social links:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/girlmeetsdress
Facebook: www.facebook.com/girlmeetsdress
Website: www.girlmeetsdress.com
