Ahead of Your Curves is the Australian rental service for plus-sized clothes
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CREATIVE VICTORIA
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
Because sharing is caring.
In the realm of fashion sustainability, creativity is boundless. There’s mushroom leather, cactus leather and even pineapple leather. But sometimes sustainability is really simple. The values underpinning the practice are built on care, consideration and thoughtfulness – for our planet and for each other.
The idea of shared responsibility is highlighted by the rise of the rental market. It’s essentially a communal wardrobe, where individuals borrow garments for short periods of time, keeping clothes in circulation for longer.
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It’s a concept embraced by many Australian businesses; it’s the kind of ingenuity Creative Victoria is proud to foster. For all the incredible good rental models have given us, there’s been one recurring issue that’s continued to rear its head: size inclusivity.
That’s where Ahead of Your Curves comes in. “The company was created to provide a place for curvy women to be able to access designer clothing, no matter the occasion,” founder Kylie Wall tells me. The rental business stocks garments sized between 14 and 24, and all models seen on their socials and website wear sizes 14 and above.
“We’re passionate about supporting the designers who have genuine curve ranges and providing them with an opportunity for brand exposure in a new market,” says Kylie. Here, we learn more about the journey of Ahead of Your Curves and how the business came to be.
What drove you to start Ahead of Your Curves?
The initial idea came after a chat with a good friend about rental fashion. She always had new dresses that looked amazing. When I asked how she always had something new on, she told me she rented them. At this point I was beyond excited, thinking I would finally be able to access designer fashion at an affordable price.
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However, after eagerly searching online for my first rental outfit, it became apparent that rental brands weren’t focused on curved customers, and I couldn’t find anything that I loved. From there, I did some more research as I felt that although there was little representation on existing rental platforms for the curve market, there was surely a demand.
Through my research, I learnt that even though over 60 per cent of Australian women wear a size 14 or above, less than 20 per cent of rental fashion I found was available to anyone in this category. At this point, I realised there was a clear gap in the market and decided that I needed to launch Ahead of Your Curves.
The process came with a very steep learning curve but has also been extremely rewarding. I started by taking several online courses about starting a new business… The Lady Startup course and joining many Facebook groups for women in business were especially beneficial. Once I felt confident that I could do it, I did my own extensive market research, bought a good amount of stock and built a website.
What’s the importance of the rental economy when it comes to fashion sustainability?
Traditionally, having a new outfit for every event meant a wardrobe full of clothes that you wear once or twice. Fashion rental provides customers with a way to access designer outfits at a fraction of their sale price, meaning that customers don’t need to buy a new dress for every occasion and wear quality rather than fast fashion.
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Why have plus-size people been traditionally excluded from fashion sustainability?
The plus-size market, especially in Australia, does not have the same access to rental fashion as those who wear smaller sizes. Quite simply, providing more options for curvy women will see more women renting fashion. This will lead to less clothing being purchased for one-off wear.
Can you share some of your favourite Victorian labels on offer?
Novella the Label! I love them. They were actually the first brand to come on board as a wholesale partner. We’ve worked with Emily and her team since the start and they have been amazing. One of the things I love most about this Melbourne brand is their pieces are always true to size. They’re currently our most-rented brand.
We also work directly with Natalie and her team at Embody Women, one of Melbourne’s leading designers of size-inclusive fashion. We’re bringing out an exclusive colour range for winter for Ahead of Your Curves customers.
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What is your clientele like and what occasions are they shopping for?
Just under 70 per cent of customers and social community are women aged between 25 and 44. In terms of occasions, unsurprisingly the most searched event we see is weddings. The other occasion we see a high demand for is cocktail parties. There are also a large number of women looking for something for a girl’s night out, which I love.
What’s a particularly fond customer story that sticks out to you?
One, in particular, was one of our very first rentals. The customer actually reached out to us on social media the week before we launched… She needed a dress for a wedding and even though we hadn’t launched yet, I wanted to help. I knew exactly how she felt, only having a small number of the same options to wear but desperately wanting to rock something new.
As the website wasn’t live, there wasn’t really a way for her to pick anything, so I got creative. I had her send me her measurements and some examples of what she liked. I then prepared a number of dresses I thought would be suitable and we jumped on a video call to go through the options. She found one she liked, we got it to her in time and she looked amazing.
The really great thing that came from this process was seeing how much the video call and personal touch helped her… We’ve walked a number of customers through their journey since we went live, whether it’s helping with ’fit suggestions, best ways to take their measurements or even jumping on a video call to help them find that perfect piece so they can rent with confidence.
Want to see what creative Victorian businesses are up to? Head here.
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