When it comes to sustainability in fashion, there’s no denying that the rental model is and has been a game changer. The likes of Onloan, Rotaro, Hurr (and more) have reached the masses and suddenly, it has become much cooler to say that you’ve rented a dress for a month than it is to confess you've splurged your paycheck on sales. Although questions have been raised about just how sustainable renting is (with mostly unfounded and contested claims), the platforms have been successful in changing the way we think about our wardrobes and sartorial needs. Case-in-point: leading rental platform Onloan. The female-founded company offers their customers a selection of “quality, premium fashion, but at an accessible price point,” as Tamsin Chislett, CEO and Co-Founder, puts it.

So, what sets Onloan apart from other rental models? According to Creative Director and Co-Founder Natalie Hasseck, “We’re less about renting a one-off piece of occasion wear, and more about an entirely new way of enjoying fashion. Onloan is a monthly subscription, so you get to rent the pieces for a whole month and mix them in with your existing wardrobe.” Indeed, a visit to the new pop-up in Shoreditch shows exactly that with a range of casual and dressed up numbers to peruse, from pared back blazers and trousers to dolled up blouses, dresses, skirts – you name it. And with covetable and leading sustainable brands to choose from like Stine Goya, Mother of Pearl, and Sea NY, we can’t see why you would wait for an occasion anyway! You may wonder why an online rental service would have or need an IRL space, so we put the question to the founders. “We wanted to bring Onloan alive,” Tamsin explains, “to invite our customers into our world and be able to showcase our culture and ethos. It’s vital to keep learning and evolving and we want our customers to continually push us to improve and come on that journey with us.” 

In the same spirit of building community, we asked Tamsin and Natalie our 8Qs to learn more about their forward-thinking minds.



What is a book that you always come back to and why?
Natalie: The Eye Has To Travel by Diane Vreeland. The hey-day of boundary-less style.

Tamsin: Let My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard. Business, but in support of humanity not against it.

What is your morning ritual like?
NH: It’s ever-changing and non ritualistic with the exception of a cuddle with my 2 year old.

TC: Mayhem. I have 3 kids under 5 so it’s a mess of Weetabix, socks, train-sets, nappies, and Duplo. One day it will be different.

What is the best piece of advice you've received?
NH: Just assume you know nothing and follow your curiosity.

TC: People sometimes just want you to agree things are crap. Not everything has to be fixed right away.



What is an ongoing goal of yours?
NH: To do a triple pirouette.

TC: To learn to apply make-up really well.

What's your party trick?
NH: Making new friends wherever I go.

TC: I can type almost as fast as I can think.

If you could travel anywhere right now, where would it be?
NH: Take me back to Costa Rica. I’d like to go back with no phone or internet for at least a month.

TC: New York with some mates and definitely no kids.



Name something that you're grateful for.
NH: My husband Adam who is quite possibly the most patient and loving man in the world.

TC: My parents decided to retire in the same house I grew up in in the countryside.

Name three things that you can't live without.

NH: My cat Kate Moss, my glasses and all-purpose cleaner.

TC: In my 20s I spent a year living in Northern Uganda, and discovered I don’t need much! Books, screw-top wine, and a torch.

Visit the Onloan 'Loanerville' pop-up at 9 Club Row, Shoreditch before it ends on the 20th of November or start a subscription here


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