Wednesday, 24 April 2019

Interview With Zoe Partridge, Founder Of Wear The Walk


Wear The Walk (WTW - a brilliant antidote to the world of fast fashion - is a clothing rental service which provides luxury clothes, from sustainable brands, at an affordable price.  WTW also provides three types of monthly subscription membership, from 'Savvy' to 'Ultimate' revolving wardrobe. Each month you can select a number of designer clothes which you can keep or exchange at anytime. This gives you the flexibility and freedom to try out new clothes without harming the environment or having your wardrobe packed with clothes that you never wear. 

Fashion Revolution revealed that the average British woman hoards £285 of clothes they will never wear - the equivalent to 22 outfits in each wardrobe - £30 billion of unworn clothes! 
The average person also buys 60% more items of clothing, and keeps them for about half as long as they did 15 years ago. With WTW you can reduce your impact on the environment whist having more fun with your wardrobe. 

You can also enjoy a 10% discount when you use the discount code REBECCA10


1. How did you come up with the concept for WTW and what inspired you to start the business?  

It wasn’t necessarily a singular lightbulb moment, although a lot of founders claim it is!  At a personal level, I was the ultimate fast fashion perpetrator, updating my wardrobe weekly and feeling the shame of wearing things once. I had an appetite for luxury and high quality, but knew how inaccessible these items were from my previous experience working at Mulberry. Thus, the non-ownership model really resonated with me my lifestyle. This idea of guilt free wearing, and wearing a £2000 dress for £100 - was a no brainer! It was a sentiment of, why wouldn’t I strive to feel great in what I wear all the time, and why should great fashion be so inaccessible. I wanted to democratise this and fundamentally provide access. However, after starting the company, it really became clear that the higher purpose was not just access to clothes we want, but creating a positive impact on the world and decreasing wastage within the fashion industry.

But I would never have been able to pursue it had there not been a perfect storm of events:  my last company had just been sold, Rent the Runway (the US version of Wear the Walk) had just raised a significant amount of money, and the sustainable fashion movement was gaining serious traction. When starting a business, timing is everything and I feel very lucky to have been able start a company with this niche at the right time. 


2. You stock some brilliant new sustainable designers. How do you discover these brands and select what you stock?

For us it’s about listening to our customers and being adaptable to their needs, a lot of our brands are sustainable and focus heavily on great craftsmanship and quality. These brands are totally in line with our values and our customers so we base our selection on the brands that offer something totally unique to what you find on the high street. We find them everywhere! Instagram and London Fashion week are great.

STARSICA
Lilac Print Frill Trousers and Blouse


CLEO DE LAET
Light Blue Draped Dress



3. What is your advice for anyone who wants to begin to develop their own capsule wardrobe?

Invest in style not trends. I build my capsule wardrobe around everyday pieces that I feel good in, either because they’re great quality, or because they’re timeless. A good pair of jeans and a great cashmere jumper can live forever. For anything I need, it can be rented. I’d never tell anyone to not buy anything, its about investing in pieces that you can get lots of wear out of. 


"Netflix for your wardrobe"

- Tasmin Blanchett, The Guardian


4. What is your favourite part of working at ‘Wear The Walk’?

I love my team, and I love the energy that they bring. It’s a very exciting space and we’re all driving towards something bigger than just a brand, there is a sentiment of changing the world with this new model and I feel very lucky to be surrounded by a great group of women that believe in that.  

HANNAH BRABON
Light Denim Skirt


5. How do you think social media has changed the way that we shop?

Social media is the biggest driver of creating micro trends, and it has put demands on consumers to change their outfit weekly. We’ve become increasingly image centric, but it’s important that I highlight this isn’t a bad thing or something that we need to be ashamed of, it’s just meant that we turn to fast fashion more often than not to fulfil our styling and wardrobe needs. Hopefully, renting provides the sustainable way to meet this consumer shit and demand. 

MOIXA
Plunge Neck Ball Gown


6. What is your favourite garment that you have in your wardrobe? 

That I own… It would have to be my 2nd Day trench- anyone that knows me will affirm that I’m never seen without it! 2nd Day is a Danish/Scandinavian progressive women's label and I love their quality and fit. 

My spring rental staples from wear the walk are…





STARSICA
Green Patterned Dress


BAUE
Sofija Dress In Pink



Look out for a post about my experience trialling a rented wardrobe from Wear The Walk. 
Don't forget that you can get a 10% discount today by using the code REBECCA10.
Thank you Zoe, I think this really could be the future of fashion.

                                                                                 Beccy x

SHARE:
Blogger Template Created by pipdig