Just in time for ski season, Rent the Runway has expanded its
collections to include a new rental category dedicated to athleisure
and skiwear. As with its existing womenswear categories, this
athleticwear range is available for customers to rent either through
4-8 day Reserve rentals that start at 30 dollars or the company’s
Unlimited and Update memberships, which respectively cost 159 and 89
dollars per month.
The athleisure and skiwear category launched on Rent the Runway’s
site on December 3, with hundreds of trend-focused athleticwear in
sizes from XS to L from a list of designer brand partners. Customers
can currently rent activewear from Lululemon, Champion, P.E.Nation,
Bogner, Perfect Moment Monrow, LNDR, Terez, Fila, Aztech Mountain and
PhatBuddha.
Skiwear expansion is “natural next step” for clothing rental
“It was a natural next step to launch ski wear and performance
brands as the winter season approached. We know our customer is very
active, and prioritizes experiences– adding this product to her
subscription was a natural fit,” Rent the Runway’s chief merchant
Sarah Tam explained to FashionUnited.
“Last Fall, puffers and outerwear were a popular trend, [so] we
launched puffers from Bacon, Mackage, Phillip Lim and Sosken. This
category performed extremely well. Based on feedback and reviews, a
trending use case for our puffers were Ski and Apres Ski worn back
with performance brands. As a result, we launched Ski Jackets, ski
sweaters, base layers, ski pants and onsies to be worn on the slopes
and some for apres ski and lounging.”
Tam said that Rent the Runway expects its athleisure and skiwear
merchandise rented by every demographic in its subscriber base, which
ranges from teens to women in their 70s.
“Our customers want variety in their wardrobes for all aspects of
their busy lives,” she continued. “From work, weekend, night out or
their trip to Aspen, renting offers constant variety and newness,
encouraging brand discovery and style experimentation. In categories
such as athleisure and ski wear, customers tend to invest in very
rational purchases such as black and basics.”
Image: Rent the Runway
