Our superstars in the industry appear dressed to the nines at every public event they attend, be it film awards, promotions, fashion shows, launches, cocktail parties, wedding dos, you name it. While many would be tempted to raid their wardrobes, turns out that more often than not, what we see an Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or a Kareena Kapoor donning at a particular event, may not be something they own. Some of these luxury floor sweeping gowns or cocktail dresses, priced anywhere from '1 lakh going up to Rs 4 lakhs, are actually sourced from luxury rental services for rates that start from around Rs 2,500 per occasion. Currently, with the awards season and the fashion season at its peak, it’s a great time for these rentals. However, Shilpa Bhatia, who runs one such service, The Clothing Rental, says that dull seasons are rare in this business — only good seasons and peak seasons.
While dealing with stars, there are of course many dos and don’ts. For instance, stars will never wear clothes that have been worn previously. So they have to ensure the fresh pieces go to them. “The events are many. It would be for promotional events or a brand endorsement. And if the stars are A-listers we make sure it’s always a brand new piece for them. We have styled Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Nargis Fakhri, Alia Bhatt to name a few,” Shilpa says, adding, “Also, for them it’s crucial that they don’t repeat an outfit.” It had happened once, not very long ago when Sonam Kapoor and Athiya Shetty made separate appearances in what appeared to be the same outfit and at that time Athiya’s outfit was sourced from Shilpa. The style teams of both actresses were at the receiving end for the blooper.
Among some of the most famous outfits rented from her store are Kareena’s ravishing Golden Ports 1961 gown at a brand event and Urvashi Rautela’s shimmering Jovani outfit at a film awards function. Occasionally, stars rent an outfit and then end up purchasing it too. “Katrina Kaif had once rented a luxury golden floor-sweeping gown and then cut it in half to make it a short dress. The gown was considered sold,” Shilpa says. Minor wear and tear in the business is permissible, but if the outfit is damaged beyond that, they consider it. “You can’t spill a glass of wine on an outfit. That stain will remain forever,” she adds.
Shilpa sources the clothes mostly from New York, Milan, Paris and Hong Kong. For Indian brands and designers I prefer shopping here. For jewellery it has to be Jaipur. Kitsch in Mumbai has some amazing Stella McCartney gowns and I usually pick stuff from there as well,” Shilpa says. One can rent a Carmen Marc Volvo ethereal gown for only Rs 2,500 to 3,000, or a cocktail dress by BCBG for anywhere between Rs 800 to Rs 1,200, while men’s suits like Hugo Boss and Armani range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.
Shilpa says, “The gap in the business is close, people rent stuff because they know they cannot afford to buy it. Recovering the cost takes time though. If I buy a gown worth Rs 30,000, I’ll have to rent it 10 times to recover the cost before I start making profits. We also have to look after the maintenance of the garment. I remember purchasing a gown worth Rs 4 lakh and there were no takers how do I recover that money ” she points out.
Shilpa’s credentials are well established within the industry. The erstwhile Bollywood stylist has dressed the likes of Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Minnisha Lamba, Sachin Tendulkar and many more before starting her own service. She never deals directly with the stars — it is the stylists who conduct the transactions. “The industry knows us well and the business so far has been successful,” she says, adding, “Sometimes the celebrities might not even know that the clothes are rented as the whole circuit is rooted through stylists.”
For the stylists, it is a Herculean task to source the outfits and also keep track of who’s going to wear what, to avoid unpleasant sartorial coincidences. Popular Bollywood designer and stylist Rick Roy, whose has worked with the likes of Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan, says, “The stylist has to be very careful and must be on their toes all the time. They should be aware of what’s happening in the industry. A stylist is hired to give a certain person, a particular look and if that goes wrong, people will notice and it may not be a good thing for the stylist and his/her reputation. That’s why personally, I find the renting business a little dicey.”
