“I dream that one day renting will be the first choice for occasion wear”
We chat to Rachel Hennessy, Founder, Happy Days about changing careers in the pandemic and making sustainable fashion choices .
Before starting Happy Days Fashion Rental, Rachel qualified as an accountant with KPMG and then went on to work in finance in Google. During the pandemic she started questioning her shopping habits and started buying her own clothes second hand. It was while she was exploring second hand websites that she came across gorgeous designer dresses for a fraction of the price. She did some market research and realised there was a gap in the market for a rental company with more sizing options and with a physical location that people could come and try on. Over to Rachel…
What’s the market like in Ireland for circular fashion?
I think we are in a great place at the moment. A few years ago, people would have been too embarrassed to admit they were renting a dress and now people wear it with a badge of honour! There are so many amazing second-hand clothes shops and online stores that vintage clothes are becoming even more accessible. People’s mind frames have definitely shifted, and I think most people are way more conscious of their own shopping habits.
How much of a difference does it make that Happy Days has a shop so customers can try on dresses before committing to rent?
I think this is one of our best USPs. It gives people a chance to come in and try on lots of different brands and styles. So many people end up renting a totally different dress than what they came in for. There is always such a nice atmosphere in the shop. Customers who don’t know each other are always complimenting each other in the changing room area and convince each other to rent a dress that they are trying on. It’s brilliant!
Where do you source your clothes from?
We try and buy all our clothes second hand, we source from websites such as Depop, Vestiaire and eBay and we also buy from our customers. Some sizes are hard to buy second hand, so we need to buy them directly from brands to ensure we can offer a broader range of sizes.
Is your goal to make a profit, or is it enough to know you’re changing mindset and helping the environment?
I think any business owner would be lying if they didn’t want to make a profit, and that is the only way we will be able to grow our business and reach more customers and widen our offering. We love bringing people on the journey with us and nothing makes me happier than when a friend or a customer shows me something that they bought second hand or some small habit they have changed to start shopping more consciously.
Can you comment on how the role of influencers is helping change the attitude of buying fast fashion and move to a more sustainable options and any big Irish and/or global names who are helping change mindsets?
There are some amazing influencers in Ireland who provide so many insights into the fast fashion industry but in a non-judgemental way. Fionnuala Jones, Fionnuala Moran and Pat Kane come to mind immediately. But I also love the charity shop videos on TikTok, where people come on and show their amazing second-hand finds. The younger generation are way more into sustainable fashion and flaunt their charity shops finds, which I think is amazing.
In terms of clothing, where do you think the demand for newness comes from? Do you think it has always been there? How much do think social media has contributed to this?
It definitely comes from social media. We didn’t buy like this before. Everyone is constantly being bombarded with newness on every social media platform. You then convince yourself you need a particular item that you keep seeing. Also, everything is so accessible now, with so many companies offering free next day delivery you can get almost anything you want within a day. Those things make it really hard for small businesses to compete, but I definitely do think people are questioning their shopping habits, especially after the pandemic.
Do you think renting will ever replace buying for one-off occasion wear outfits?
Yes absolutely. Our vision at Happy Days is that renting rather than owning will be the first choice for occasion wear. We had so many customers last year that rented for every wedding that they went to as they realised that if they bought something they would only wear it once and then it would just sit in their wardrobe.
Do you think your customers choose to rent due to the high price of sought-after brands?
I think we really do have a mix of customers and not everyone would come to us for this reason. A lot of people genuinely just want a dress they think looks nice on them and is comfortable. Some people want new season items, some people rent because they think it is the right thing to do and some people just saw one of the dresses on Instagram and it caught their eye.
Do you feel brands are doing enough to be sustainable?
It really depends on the brand. I think everyone is more aware of the sustainability element and lots of customers won’t buy from brands if they don’t think they are doing enough. A great website called goodonyou.eco is my go-to for checking how a brand ranks ethically and sustainably.
What’s one thing we could all do to make more sustainable clothing choices?
The most sustainable clothing choice is to wear what you already own. Take a look in your wardrobe and see what you have there first. See can you change something up or wear it with something different to give you that new feeling. Borrow from friends. Shop vintage/second hand and from charity shops. Research brands that you are buying from, do their sustainability credentials stack up? Rent for special occasions or go to a swap shop.
Looking to rent a dress for your next event?
Find out more about Happy Days here and to connect with Rachel, you can find her on LinkedIn here.
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