Walk-In is the rental platform for those who have never been drawn to rental platforms
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
Luxury without commitment.
“I have no background in fashion, other than spending money on it,” laughs Faye Rozon, the founder of rental platform Walk-In.
She intimately understands something that many of us can relate to: loving fashion but not knowing how to break into the industry. Prior to starting Walk-In, Faye already had a career in construction, but after going through a rough patch in life, she was searching for a project that would act as a “happy distraction”.
“I had the Walk-In business plan drawn on a piece of paper from a year before… I wanted something that would create good, and I love fashion, so I put the two together,” she explains.
Established in June 2019, Walk-In is a high-end fashion rental platform that seeks to tread lightly on the planet while empowering its wearers with elevated style and luxury.
In a space that is becoming increasingly saturated, Walk-In separates itself from the typical evening and formalwear hiring services.
“What we really wanted to do was listen to our clientele because as a customer, initially, I was never likely to hire because nothing was connecting with who I was and the way I wanted to consume fashion,” says Faye.
Walk-In’s selection of designers is mouth-watering. Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Helmut Lang, LV, Orseund Iris line its international shelves. Aje, Dion Lee, Ellery, Manning Cartell and Scanlan Theodore are just some of the Aussie talent they carry.
The process is simple. You create your own account ‘wardrobe’ which stores your orders, returns, details and sizing information. If you wish, you can input detailed sizing information that includes your dress and jean size, to your height and inseam measurements.
Browse Walk-In’s selections, then pick your outfit. Faye and her team will post your garment to you and you get to be the lucky owner of it for four days, at the end of which Walk-In will take care of the return postage and dry cleaning.
Cup day, hens’ nights, birthday celebrations, holidays and anniversaries are usually when women flock to Faye for help. She’s even had flustered partners message her for last-minute help surprising their significant other.
As someone who was originally unsure of rentals herself, Faye’s mindset has completely switched.
“At the end of the day, you wouldn’t invest in a $1000 dress without knowing if you like the designer,” she says. “It gives the people new brands to experience, new fabrics as well, and then be able to say, ‘Well actually, I know that dress suits me well so I’m actually going to invest in it.’”
“Hygiene wise, there is no issue there,” Faye further reassures. “Everything is dry cleaned and stored carefully. There is good quality control and maintenance of all the pieces.”
Environmental concern is a core component of Walk-In’s ethos, and, in Faye’s words, it’s the company’s “main driver”. Walk-In’s desire to increases people’s awareness about the impact of fashion and the damaging nature of our ‘buying to wear once’ mentality is why it promotes the reusing of clothes in a shared, circular economy.
“Being green is not about being boring. There is something [about Walk-In] that is still exclusive, it’s still high-end. It’s cool to care. It’s cool to care about the environment and everyone likes to feel like they’re doing something good. We’re all about doing good for the planet and making our clients feel good about themselves.”
“Our environmental concern is and always will be in constant improvement and progress. We aren’t perfect, but we are committed to contributing to a better world. We want people to feel good while doing good,” she explains.
There’s often an expectation to play it safe when it comes to high-end pieces due to their exorbitant price tags. But Walk-In flips the script and encourages its clientele to experiment and try pieces they may have not been typically drawn to.
“[When renting], people will take the risk and create something that’s more creative and more personal to themselves,” explains Faye.
“The idea is to be able to be the ‘best girlfriend’ wardrobe. Where we offer all the selections and we listen to where people are going, what they are doing, what size they want, what they want to try. I feel like fashion is a form of true self-expression.”
The name Walk-In may seem a tad ironic as you cannot physically enter the digital platform, but Faye explains that Walk-In acts as an unlimited wardrobe that empowers as it dresses.
“You walk into a world of possibilities [when] you walk into your wardrobe. You can walk in confidently and walk out with the mindset that you’re going to look great, you’re going to feel great and you’re going to do something good.”
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