Cork’s got a new fashion rental business

WE’VE all had that moment, when you stand in front of a wardrobe bursting with clothes, but have nothing to wear.

The idea of a ‘capsule wardrobe’, with a small number of quality pieces you can mix and match, sounds like the perfect solution. But most budgets don’t stretch to owning expensive, designer clothing. So we end up buying more fast fashion that isn’t made to last, and the cycle continues.

This problem has been noticed by Elma Collins-Botha, from Castlemartyr, and Alison O’Keeffe, from Crosshaven. Although both women hail from Cork, they met while working for a major retailer in Australia. Together, they have founded Best Kept Secret, Cork’s brand new fashion rental service.

The idea was the brainchild of Alison, who moved back to Cork 18 months ago with her husband and young child, and started working for Musgrave. She’s since had her second baby and is currently on maternity leave. Before Christmas, she mentioned the idea of a fashion rental service to Elma, who is still based in Melbourne with her family.

Elma’s expertise is in procurement, while Alison is focused on the customer.

“Coupled together, we’re a nice mix to make things happen,” says Alison.

“The very first conversation we had about this was on December 14,” says Elma.

Just four months later, they have opened the doors of their showroom in Carrigaline.

Both women were exposed to the rental market while living in Australia.

“It’s a much more advanced industry globally than what you see in Ireland,” says Alison.

The immature market here was “a light bulb moment” for them.

Best Kept Secret carries pieces by Australian designers, and is all about “versatility, quality, and elevated design”.

Its founders embody their brand. When we meet over Zoom, Elma is wearing a stylish pink shirt from the Australian brand Aje, while Alison wears a denim, sleeveless summer dress with a statement collar, also from Aje.

Talking about Alison’s dress, Elma says, “You can wear that for a gorgeous summer lunch, but equally going into the city with sandals.”

Using the service is simple. You contact Best Kept Secret through Instagram, WhatsApp or their website www.bestkeptsecret.ie, arrange a try-on session in their showroom, provide them with some information, and they select pieces that they believe will work for you. You can bring a friend if you like, and Alison will be there to guide you through the process and help with styling.

“We want to make the customer feel comfortable, we want to make them feel confident, and make sure it’s their experience,” says Alison.

We’re here to make it as pleasant and as fun as possible, and offer whatever advice we can.

Pieces can be rented for 24 hours, four days, or for longer periods. They look after the dry-cleaning as part of the rental fee.

Alison and Elma acknowledge that renting clothes is a new concept in Ireland, and it’s often seen as something just for occasions like weddings. They believe the market is evolving.

“Already, we can see the move away from occasion wear to everyday,” says Elma.

For the rental market to succeed, they say the focus needs to shift away from throwaway, ‘wear once’ clothing.

“We’re not interested in having a warehouse of dresses,” says Alison.

“Fast fashion has taken over the world because it’s the only access people have to clothes,” says Elma. 

A capsule wardrobe of good quality, well-crafted clothes is unattainable to most people.

She says renting gives you “access to good quality pieces you otherwise can’t have.”

They choose hard-working garments that can be “styled three ways”, so you get the most out of your rental period.

“We select pieces that will take you from day to night,” says Alison.

“That really cool outfit for a professional business meeting, that you can then wear to dinner that evening.

“People have less space in their wardrobes, people are moving into smaller properties, the cost of living crisis is a challenge, so affordability is right up there in people’s thoughts,” says Alison.

“In Australia, you don’t have Penneys,” Elma explains. 

“You walk down the street in Cork, and everyone is wearing the same coveted coat. You don’t have high streets in Australia. Australian brands are the bread and butter of what everyone is wearing.”

Elma says the lifestyle in Australia is “laidback, effortless” and the clothes are “really focused on form, and texture, and well-crafted pieces”.

At Best Kept Secret, you can expect to find “something a little bit different”.

Alison adds that pockets are a big feature of Australian design, which their customers in Cork have been delighted to discover.

She says they want to be “an extension of your own wardrobe.”

When you come to your appointment, they encourage you to bring your own shoes or accessories.

“We will make your clothes work as hard as our pieces work,” she says. 

When you start to wear clothes that fit really well and are hard-working, there’s a joy with that.

Find @bestkeptsecret.rentals on Instagram.