Meet the SHEROES: Laveena Laitonjam, Rent An Attire

While most of us are busy balancing work and life, Laveena Laitonjam makes time for the third dimension in her life--her enterprise. She started Rent An Attire, an out-of-the-box business, where one can rent a lovely designer garment for a special occasion. As she continues to do her day job as Senior Manager, Learning and Development, at Persistent Systems, one that she loves, she continues to raise her two-year-old baby (her business) with equal devotion. Excerpts from a conversation:

The idea came from my very own wardrobe!

The idea of starting something so unique came from my very own wardrobe. I am from Dehradun and have a large family. Naturally, there were weddings very often, and I ended up buying clothes for every wedding I attended.

These new clothes stayed new, as I wore each only once. Some of my friends borrowed my outfits for their functions, and that’s where this idea hit me. Rent An Attire is a store where people can pick up different outfits for different occasions, without burning a hole in their pockets.

I started the first store in October 2014, and we will be completing two years now. We now have stores in Pune and Dehradun.

When we started in 2014, I was very sure that Rent An Attire will be all about women; however, the brides-to-be suggested we have something for their fiancés too, and that’s how we added the men’s collection to our store. We have a huge variety of sherwanis for the grooms. Adding the men’s collection opened new horizons for us, and we’re glad to see couples trying the outfits together, smiling away while dreaming about their life ahead.

Thorough quality checks and personal assistance--Our mantras at work

Our clients typically fall into the 16 to 45 years age group and mostly belong to the IT industry.  We have outfits from designers such as Sabyasachi, Shantanu & Nikhil, Zara, Forever New and the likes, and we also have tie-ups with the new but famous designers in Pune.

Our garments are a hit at weddings and sangeets. We believe in providing good customer service and do thorough quality checks. Each outfit is dry-cleaned, ironed, custom-fitted and checked before delivery. We take extra care as we understand how important these special occasions are for our clients and how they like to have things perfect!

We have a wide and exclusive range of designer and bridal outfits, elegant ethnic wear and classy party dresses--leaving our clients spoilt for choice, without costing them a bomb. We have fashion stylists assisting customers for the best look. Once you have chosen your outfit, you need to pay a booking amount, mention the date and days you need it for and the outfit is yours! The outfits are typically rented for two nights or 48 hours, which can be extended based on the need.

Renting: The new code for shopping

With the changing world and women taking the lead in all walks of life, fashion is also being looked at differently. Today's women are more keen on variety, and they have also become more practical in their approach. Renting an outfit has given them the option of trying different designs and a new look whenever they feel like it. Renting is pocket-friendly too, so who wouldn’t like it?

In fact, abroad, especially in the UK and the US, renting garments is very popular; except it revolves more around office wear and daily wear. Rent An Attire is the first-of-its-kind to focus on dresses for weddings and similar special occasions here in India.

Soon, we will be adding a store in Delhi and expanding to other cities as well. We are planning to merge fashion and technology--we will be going online from September with free pick-up and drop services within Pune. Customers can expect to see an online store and check out our outfits and book online as well.

Rent An Attire also has another offering for clients. A revenue-sharing model called “Earn through Us”. Through this, a lot of homemakers are earning money by entrusting their designer outfits to us for renting. We are happy we are able to help the homemaker earn money and earn a sense of pride knowing she is also contributing to the home expenses along with her spouse.

Value for money: The whole purpose behind Rent An Attire.

If an outfit is used only once and is expensive, say, one that cost you a lakh rupees, it will just eat away the space in the wardrobe and after sometime, will grow old and be trashed. We at Rent An Attire are changing the way renting was perceived earlier, by offering clients value for their money.

It is an offbeat concept, but I never felt it would be difficult. My mother has taught me to be strong, no matter what comes my way. She has taught me to always look at the bright side of life. She is my greatest inspiration. She always believed in enjoying every day of her life, even if it is not your best day. She made me what I am today.

I believe that for us women, there is nothing that is impossible; so stay positive and chase your dreams!