Looking for a designer dress to wear out to a special event this weekend that’s under 100 dollars? Ladies, look no further than Renttherunway.com, the premier digital designer dress rental destination where dresses can be rented for less than half of their original price.
Rent the Runway is a membership-based website that allows you to simply sign in, browse for the type of dress that you are looking for and have it shipped to you free of charge. The dresses range from formal to casual, and even include wedding dresses and accessories to bring your designer outfit together.
Founded in November of 2009 by two Harvard Business School graduates, the site now offers over 25,000 dresses from over 165 designer brands, such as Vera Wang, Nicole Miller, and Calvin Klein.
And now affiliated with Rent the Runway is Fairfield University. Offering on campus internships, this is the first year that Fairfield is promoting the company and giving students opportunities to work with Rent the Runway. Currently, five girls work for the company and are exceedingly excited about the work that they have done so far.
“I work in the public relations department. It’s really cool to work in fashion and still have the business side of it. What we learn is stuff that we can take with us to further any career,” said Maggie Hickey ‘15.
Hickey has been using the site herself since 2010. When she saw the opportunity to work with the company, she was excited to see what was in store. Hickey loves Rent the Runway and thinks that it is something that every college girl should know about.
“It’s really good because I’m in college and I don’t always have the money to buy really expensive dresses all the time,” said Hickey. “With Renttherunway.com, it’s half the price. The dresses come in two days and you can pick your size and everything,”
Rent The Runway also offers a five-dollar insurance fee, just in case something is spilt on the dress or rip it by accident. Shipping is free, and for return the dress is simply slipped into an envelope that they provide.
Sophomore Melissa Muroski is another representative for the company. She has been sending out messages to alert students about the company and, so far, has had numerous positive responses. The representatives had their first trunk show on Tuesday before the President’s Ball on Sept. 28.
The show was held in the mezzanine, where 30 dresses were available for Fairfield girls to try on and rent. Some dresses, originally priced at $2,000, were for rent at prices as low as $30. The girls were able to secure fifteen rentals. “I thought it was fun to get all girls of different grades up in the mezzanine,” said Muroski. “It was like a girls’ night out in the middle of the day.”
Some brands available at the trunk show included Nicole Miller, Tibi, Halsten Heritage, Pencey, Calvin Klein, and Herve Leger. Free giveaways were also available and music resonated throughout the BCC as everyone tried on and picked out their designer dresses.
The Rent the Runway interns are looking to promote the company as best they can and strongly encourage students to join their team to work on helping students utilize the site here on campus. They have established a Facebook group called “Rent the Runway at Fairfield University” and also have a twitter named “RTR Fairfield.”
Interns also get college credit working for Rent the Runway, so there are personal as well as academic benefits involved as well.
Rent the Runway’s motto is “No commitments, no regrets,” and the girls say that this is exactly what the company promises its renters.
“I think it’s a good motto for the college girl,” said Hickey. “It really is a great deal too.”
The company’s services can be accessed at Renttherunway.com.
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