Luxury bags and wedding gowns lead the rental fashion craze

Cici Fan, 21, a university student, darts between various luxury handbag stores in Tsim Sha Tsui after receiving a last-minute notification to attend an important business dinner. She paced and occasionally looked inside from the shop window. Finally, she entered a store and secured a Dior handbag for HK$800.

“I finally feel at ease because it solved my problem of not having enough money to buy a fancy tote bag for a dinner party,” Fan said.

But from the moment she walked out of the store, she had to carefully look after the bag until it was safely returned to the store because it was rented.

Fan is the small epitome of the Hong Kong clothing rental craze. More Hongkongers have started trying rental services in different boutiques in recent years. Renting clothing and accessories from luxury brands allows consumers to display high-end lifestyles in social settings without spending much money. It provides a cost-effective way for people to keep up with fashion trends.

Some overseas luxury rental brands, such as Rent the Runway and Style Theory, are starting to emphasise the local market by offering online services for Hong Kong consumers.

Kimi Lee, the owner of the 37-year-old luxury bag rental store Huiyuan, has been running it for six years. He said it was tough for the store to operate in its early days.

“Very few people came to try this business at first because most people were not familiar with the concept of renting a bag,” he said.

Lee said things have started to look different in recent years. 

“Now the number of monthly rental orders is more stable at more than 100, and the customer base has expanded from local Hong Kong office workers and fashion enthusiasts to mainland tourists,” Lee said.

To satisfy the needs of different customers, Lee's store now sells more than 300 handbags of different brands and sizes, including classic styles from some well-known brands and rare high-end leather items.

“Younger girls like more personalised brands, such as Miumiu's bowling bag and Chanel's CF bag,” Lee said. “Older customers prefer brands that are low-key but can showcase their identity, such as Hermes' Birkin 25 and Loro Piana bags, which are all popular in our store,” he added.

Even though Fan does not buy designer bags, rented handbags work well for her socializing needs.

“I like to keep up with new trends, and I think accessories like handbags represent a person’s fashion business card," Fan said.

“My ensemble caught everyone's eye. I also got to know many fashion-conscious people and even got offered an exciting collaboration opportunity,” said Fan.

Luxury bags allow consumers to gradually increase their spiritual pursuits and their need for self-satisfaction. They can display a better image of their appearance and become more satisfied and confident with themselves, according to a study on luxury handbag consumption in China.

Alanna Wang, 20-year-old, a Hong Kong Baptist University student, is preparing to go to a birthday party that requires a dress code. 

“I have only seen high-end birthday parties in TV dramas before, and to be honest, I am very envious. I never thought that one day I would really be able to attend,” Alanna said.

“I am a little anxious because this is the first time I have ever been to such a formal party,” she said. "I can imagine everyone having decent bags with graceful outfits except me, so I decided to rent a bag to satisfy my vanity and avoid being out of place.” 

Bag rental stores can meet most people's needs on short notice, but it takes a long time for the shop owner to complete the work after each transaction. Lee said the maintenance and repair of handbags are crucial in their operations.

“We first conduct a preliminary inspection to see if there are any obvious damages or stains,” Lee said. “We perform simple cleaning treatment for common stains, but for tougher stains or areas with more damages, we will send them to a professional luxury care institution.”

“For example, handbags made of sheepskin material are particularly prone to wear and tear, and the cost of each maintenance is about HK$800, but these investments are necessary to ensure the quality of the handbags,” he added.

Anna Ng, a salesperson at Boom Vintage, a shop that operates both second-hand and rental accessory businesses in Tsim Sha Tsui, said there is a great risk involved in renting out luxury bags. 

Anna said that she could not guarantee that the rented bag would not be damaged and was afraid this kind of thing would happen.

“We have to do inspections several times before putting a bag on the counter again. It's actually quite laborious,” she said. 

“Before renting out our bags, we must have a detailed talk with consumers to ensure that they understand the precautions and compensation methods for damages,” Ng added.

Bridal gown rental is also popular in Hong Kong. Liz Queen in Tsim Sha Tsui offers over 1,000 different styles of wedding dresses.

Yoyo Wong, the owner of the shop, said young people are increasingly inclined to rent wedding dresses instead of buying a new one.

“A brand new customised wedding dress can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said.

The price of renting basic-style wedding dresses starts from HK$3,000, while high-end options in boutiques like Le Soleil Bridal Closet can start from HK$20,000, according to their websites.

“The cost-effectiveness would be too low if I bought the dress I was interested in, because I would not have much use for it after the wedding ceremony,” said Fiona Dai, a soon-to-be bride.

"The styles of wedding dresses change quickly. For example, the new Chinese style is popular this year, but the fishtail wedding dress might become the mainstream next year," Wong added.

Wedding dress rental services offer sustainable fashion. The wedding dress rental services market is expected to expand significantly, at an annual growth rate of approximately 8.4% from 2024 to 2032, according to the Wedding Dress Rental Service Market.

“Many couples not only choose to rent wedding dresses now but also rent matching shoes and handbags,” Wong said. “Our store can receive more than 30 orders for wedding dress rental every month, and business is very good.”

Rental fashion shops, though, have to come up with strategies to retain customer loyalty.

"We had to introduce a membership system and offer customers redemption points for rental time and get first dibs on popular items because competition in the rental market is fierce," Lee said.

The quality of leased goods is also often subject to controversy. Some rental stores offer wedding dresses and decorations that are not well-maintained. 

"The lace on the wedding dress I rented was frayed, and the decorations on the rented archway looked shabby,” said Jeason Hu, 27-year-old, a consumer who has leasing experience. “It affected the overall look of my wedding.