31. By Rotation: on-demand fashion rentals, without the guilt

Don’t bin your wardrobe - rotate it! By Rotation is a clothes rental site that’s helping Brits to move away from the “wear once” mentality of fast fashion.

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Founder: Eshita Kabra-Davies
Year founded: 2019
Website: byrotation.com

Entrepreneurs never turn off —  not even on their honeymoon. Eshita Kabra-Davies was enjoying her first holiday as a newlywed when she visited her birthplace, Rajasthan in India. Shocked by the amount of textile waste she saw there, the idea for By Rotation took shape.

By Rotation is a new clothes app that’s on a mission to tackle fast fashion. The concept is not necessarily new. But By Rotation has become a statement piece in the sector because of its focus on fashion rentals.

Thanks to trendsetters such as Vinted and Depop, reselling has largely been embraced by consumers. However, clothing rentals have found less success with lenders and renters, who worry about having to bother with cleaning and damages.

By Rotation solves this issue by focusing on high price point items worth over £100, making it a more attractive and viable option for luxury fashion enthusiasts. Alongside reducing their consumption, this means users can access high-end fashion, without the high price tag.

Smart client partnerships complement this branding. The startup now manages the wardrobes of the stars, from Dame Helen Mirren to Ellie Goulding. It also worked with AirBnB to enable wedding guests to rent both accommodation and clothing for the big day.

Of course, today’s platforms cannot succeed without a sizable community of everyday users. By Rotation has built a strong social media following of 220k, and has played host to them at various Fashion Week Parties, sustainability panels, and most recently a resale event.

It has also raised a sizable amount of funding, having earned £2.3m in seed funding – presumably enough to rent Jimmy Choos’ entire Spring collection. 

By Rotation is next targeting expansion to the US, where it already has an HQ in New York. But Kabra-Davies hasn’t forgotten Rajasthan, and her goal of shifting consumer behaviour towards a sustainable, circular model; something we’re sure 2025 will bring her closer to.

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