If you had told us this years ago, we wouldn’t have believed you. Now, renting clothes is one of the coolest wardrobe moves you can make. And if you aren’t yet convinced, just ask Vanessa Alves, who started her project “OURS” mid-pandemic because she says “the most important thing is to start”. Her online platform committed to responsible consumption gains more followers every day, and it’s no surprise. What “OURS” does is practically magic: it opens the doors to the closet of your dreams.
I think only those who know me well could get an answer from me on an uncomfortable question… But how about: “Do you like working in the world of fashion?”
Haha! Well… Although my passion is in my project, I have always felt like an ugly duckling in the fashion world. I think it can also be a toxic place: you’re either in, or you’re out.
I can’t remember last night’s dream- I slept very little and not very well!
In spending more time with my family Also, that OURS will have a positive impact on the way women connect to the fashion world.
In everything.
In my daughter, my family… and in my favorite songs.
OURS is a rental platform P2P, like the Airbnb of fashion. What we want to do is combat the excessive production in the fashion industry, which is one of the largest contributors to pollution. We also want to reduce the need for buying new by offering a more budget-friendly alternative that extends the lives of these special pieces of clothing. It’s an ideal approach when you need to put some pep in your step, be it a black tie event or an informal dinner. Because after all, fashion influences how we feel and how we interact with our environment.
Exactly. This project resonated with me on a personal level because I’ve always worked in fashion and I am very conscious of the impact the industry has on an environmental and social level. This is my way of taking responsibility and contributing to the shift in the industry.
I think that one of the things our customers value the most is the ability to experiment with their style. Sometimes, for various reasons, women can become trapped in one style. Maybe because it’s more comfortable or because it’s hard to take risks. Renting clothing gives you the ability to try new things and bring back that spark in your style that you might have lost along the way.
Having created OURS. It mixes my professional and personal worlds and I may end up seeing it as a failure in 5 years if it doesn’t keep growing but… I think it takes bravery to try changing things for the better.
I associate failure with regret. If you try and you fail, you always learn something. If you never try anything, you’ll be stuck and you won’t be enjoying life to the fullest. So zero failures around here… but ask me again in 5 years!
Actually, not entirely. Being an entrepreneur came about little by little because of the desire to do something different, but also because of the lack of choice of jobs that fit into the lifestyle I want to lead.
I don’t have just one. I try to draw inspiration from the best of every woman I am lucky enough to have in my life, every day.
Editor of a fashion magazine in Portugal.
It’s a wonderful friendship, the kind that pushes you out of your comfort zone sometimes.
I know the words to a lot of songs from the 80s and 90s!
Surt.org
Music.
Dance all that you can!
@ecoage
