Last week marked one year of Diffuse Retail. A huge milestone. And I was so excited to be able to celebrate with friends, family and customers and to be able to reflect on what the brand has achieved so far - one of which being hitting the 100 rentals mark!
I set up Diffuse Retail because I believed so strongly that the fashion industry and in particular, the way we shop for party, occasion and formal wear needed to change. As women I wanted us to be able to take the power back and shop in a way that made sense to us. In a way that meant we weren't spending all of our disposable income on new clothes. And in a way that meant we could be more considerate and sustainable consumers.
What's wrong with wanting to express ourselves through fashion? Or wearing something new that makes us feel truly amazing, for that one-off special event? Nothing, or at least there shouldn't be. But the way the fast fashion industry have accustomed us to thinking the only way of doing that is by committing to every new item and spending money on something that is generally not very good quality, is leading the industry down a very scary path. And that is why I believe so strongly in the power of rental and the incredible benefits it can offer each of the lovely women who have used this service at Diffuse Retail, over the last 12 months and the greater impact it can have on the fashion industry as a whole.
But, where my stand point differs to many of the rental pure players out there, is that I believe as a generation of smart, independent women, we should be empowered to make the choice for ourselves.
As there is also nothing to say, that when you do find that dress of your dreams, that you know you will wear time and time over again, you shouldn't be able to spend your hard earner money and commit. So at Diffuse Retail, we pride ourselves on offering our customers the flexibility to shop how they want - be that reserve a one off rental, or buy an item new or pre-loved.
That said, whilst rental is obviously going a long way to reducing the amount of fashion waste ending up landfill, there are still a variety negative ways the fashion industry is impacting our planet. This is why on Earth Day of 2024, we made the pledge to plant a tree for every purchase made at Diffuse Retail and that's exactly what we did last week.
We started our very own Diffuse Retail forest, reflecting back on the year's worth of sales and making sure they are playing their part in changing the fashion story for good. This was such an exciting part of the journey for me, and I can't wait to watch that forest grow.
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