Just like Uber and Airbnb have become the go-to services for sharing rides and lodging, fashionistas around the country are using the Style Lend app and website to share designer dresses, handbags, jewelry and more for events, parties or just a regular Tuesday. Founder Lona Duncan began the site in San Francisco and was accepted to a prestigious startup accelerator called Y Combinator, which helps entrepreneurs propel their business ideas to success.
Style Lend has since relocated to New York City, where the demand to borrow unique designer pieces is high, and so is the supply of fashionable ladies willing to lend out their stuff. Borrowers in the city receive their items within hours, and those around the country can expect their pieces to arrive in two or three days. Clothes can be kept for seven days, and are dry cleaned courtesy of Style Lend upon return. The team at Style Lend is selective about which pieces go up for grabs on the site, creating a fabulous virtual closet full of unique, on-trend pieces you actually want to borrow.
Here, DuJour talked to a few of the site’s top lenders about the best things for rent.
Lender: Erin Brady Capasso, Miss USA 2013
What to borrow from her right now: A black Chanel wallet with silver hardware.
Best item she’s borrowed: A white organza custom-made dress for her bridal shower.
Her personal style: Classy, fun with a bit of edge.
Lender: Amy Chan, Writer and Chief Marketing Officer at SPiN Global
What to borrow from her right now: A white Chanel bag with gold hardware.
Best item she’s borrowed: A Self-Portrait dress.
Her personal style: Street style, but always with a touch of femininity. “I prefer to be overdressed than underdressed, generally,” she says.
Lender: Marina Dobreva, Stylist and Jewelry Designer
What to borrow from her right now: The Johannesburg Mimilore necklace.
Best item she’s borrowed: Unique handbags. “I have an item that I haven’t borrowed yet but that I want to borrow, it’s been actually loaned out the couple times that I’ve tried to get it. It’s this little Chanel clutch which is basically this giant pearl with a black ball on top of it,” she says.
Her personal style: Conservative and classic, but also edgy and modern. Color and character are top priority.
Lender: Afrodet Zuri, Art Curator
What to borrow from her right now: An Alice + Olivia Rory Jacket.
Best item she’s borrowed: A Self-Portrait dress that she wore to Art Basel Miami, where she ran into Paris Hilton wearing one from the same season. “Great excuse to bond with another cool lady.”
Her personal style: Movie star glamorous.
