EXCLUSIVE: Tommy Hilfiger Partners With My Wardrobe HQ With Sizes Going Up to a U.K. 22
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LONDON — Nothing can stop the rental fashion revolution, which shifted into high gear during lockdown.
My Wardrobe HQ, the British rental service used by Arizona Muse, Poppy and Chloe Delevingne and Carrie Johnson, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s wife who got married in a Christos Costarellos embroidered tulle gown she rented for 45 pounds, is now partnering with the all-American brand Tommy Hilfiger.
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The partnership will launch on MWHQ’s site on Thursday.
In 2021, the global retail sales of Tommy Hilfiger products were approximately $9.3 billion and this six month venture is a test of whether the brand can reach new customers.
The collaboration will include past and current season offerings of womenswear, footwear and accessories that will be available to rent and purchase at a resale price.
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For Tommy Hilfiger the road to MWHQ took six months — rental services all over Europe underwent a full pitch process with the brand, and it finally decided on MWHQ.
“We’re working toward an inclusive, and circular, future for fashion,” said Esther Verburg, executive vice president sustainable business and innovation at Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, the parent company.
“As part of our vision, we have set ambitious targets on circularity, vowing to be fully circular by 2030.”
“It’s a heritage brand that has appeal across all markets, from Gen Z to Millennials,” said Sacha Newall, cofounder and chief executive officer of MWHQ. She wants to take rental forward from occasionwear into the everyday, and from workwear to low-key events.
The new collaboration adds to Tommy Hilfiger’s sustainability credentials — the brand rolled out sustainable denim made from 100 percent recycled cotton in 2019. This time around, it’s targeting the re-commerce consumer.
“As circular business is still relatively new to us, we use small pilots like this to help us test different propositions and gain insights into finding the right solutions, and our path to scale,” Verburg said.
The range will also be going up to a size U.K. 22, a momentous leap for the rental industry that typically offers sample size pieces. “Rental is the perfect opportunity to start testing the market appetite for a full range of sizes. Designer brands historically have stopped at a size 16,” Newall said.
To promote the partnership, Tommy Hilfiger will be advertising on London taxis starting on June 20 for the duration of the summer.
MWHQ works with 200 brands directly to offer rental and resale solutions. It signed up Burberry, last year, and promises to donate 45 percent of profits from each transaction to Smart Works, the U.K. charity that caters to underprivileged women. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became a patron to the charity in January 2019.
The rental platform has been recognized by Walpole, the official sector body for U.K. luxury, as part of the Class of 2021: Brands of Tomorrow. It joined brands including Marfa Stance, Bramley and The Deck.
“Our rental concession in Harrods has seen a 70 percent growth in footfall year-on-year,” said Newall, adding that it’s a very “exciting time for the new, but fast growing industry.”
FOR MORE ON THE RENTAL MARKET, SEE:
Rental App By Rotation Puts Own Twist on Resale
Rent the Runway Speeds Up, Revenues Double
Luxury Fashion’s Rental Market Is Ready for Takeoff
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