We recently discovered Girl Meets Dress, an online retailer that allows you to rent designer pieces like Alexander McQueen from as little as £29! It’s the perfect solution if you want to hire a stunning dress for an important occasion without the commitment of fully purchasing, wearing it only once and then leaving in the back of your wardrobe.
We caught up with the brand’s Co-Founder Anna Bance to find out more about her exciting business.
theFashionSpot: How did the idea of Girl Meets Dress come about?
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 occasion in our calendar? My co-founder Xavier de Lecaros-Aquise and I looked into the market and saw that nobody was already doing it. We were the first company [in the UK] 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 e-commerce category of its own.
tFS: Describe your service to our readers?
AB: Girl Meets Dress is a disruptive e-commerce 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 every special occasion.
tFS: Will you ever diversify into menswear?
AB: Never say never!
tFS: Why should we try out your service?
AB: We all have those pieces at the back of the wardrobe, bought for yet another wedding, party or job interview and haven’t worn them more than once! So, hiring a dress allows you to very easily wear more trend led, time-sensitive fashions, whilst continuing to invest only in those classic pieces which will stand the test of time.
Fashion changes so much and Girl Meets Dress allows you to gain access to your dream wardrobe for all of life’s special occasions from a Ball to a Romantic Date… A bright red maxi dress to one event and a fringed black mini to the next – different crowd, different place, different you.
Our prices start from just £29 and you can try on a few dresses as we refund anything that you deem unsuitable. Returning the dresses is free and very easy.
tFS: Do you use the service yourself?
AB: Of course, it’s my responsibility to be familiar with the designers we stock, so I try to wear at least 2 GMD dresses per week. It’s important to live your brand and know what your customers are experiencing. My current favourites for versatile party dresses to wear in the day and then straight out at night are Alice + Olivia and Rachel Zoe.
tFS: How would you describe your own style?
AB: A dress, with tights and boots in the winter or flat pumps or wedges in the summer. People always ask if I am wearing a dress from the website, and most of the time I try to live the brand, more often at night than during the day, so it’s important to wear dresses that can be transformed easily.
tFS: Which items do you never leave the house without?
AB: Mobile, Samsung Note 8.0 tablet, headphones, notebook and pens, business cards and wallet.
tFS: Do you have a style icon? Why?
AB: Olivia Palmero always looks fantastic.
tFS: What’s next for you?
AB: 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 to live without, giving women access to the biggest closet in the world.
