Next up on Living Easy Chats with is Anna Bance, co-founder of Girl Meets Dress. Girl Meets Dress is an online luxury dress rental service which allows women to hire a selection of designer dresses and accessories for a fraction of the cost price. I’m a huge fan of this concept.
We’ve all done it, spent a pretty penny on a dress for that special occasion with the greatest of intentions! Convincing yourself, that you’ll get so much wear out of it. The truth though. for special occasion’s you always want to wear something new. Girl Meets Dress sloves this problem. You essentially have access to the closet of your dreams and all at an affordable price tag! What’s not to love!
I caught up with Anna to hear all about the Girl Meets Dress journey, her favourite picks from the GMD closet and even some of her top tips for budding entrepreneurs….
Firstly tell us a bit about your career path, and how it led you to create Girl Meets Dress?
The idea for Girl Meets Dress came to me while working as Head of UK PR for French Luxury brand Hermes. Celebrities have always borrowed dresses for special events, and I noticed that with social media everyone is now a mini-celebrity in their own world. Adding an increasing social pressure to a women’s inherent desire not to wear the same dress twice.
Launching Girl Meets Dress gave all women access to this luxury. Being able to easily wear more trend led, time-sensitive fashions, while continuing to invest and buy only in those classic pieces which will stand the test of time.
A philosophy of yours is to “live your brand” and you wear one Girl Meets Dress a week. That’s a pretty sweet perk! Have you ever had to get creative when finding an occasion that requires wearing a gorgeous dress?
A dress can be worn to all occasions, you simply have to find the right style and accessories. It’s great to have access to such a large closet!
I love your business model, it’s a real break away from fast fashion. Has it been difficult changing women’s shopping habits, to rent rather than buying?
When Girl Meets Dress launched in 2009, the recession mindset dominated which was fantastic timing for the concept. It meant that “cost per use” was a huge driver.
When researching the market we noticed the trend for fast fashion phenomenon which has been fuelled by mass market retailers. So much so, that women now buy four times as much clothing as 30 years ago. The average woman has 22 garments in her wardrobe that she has never worn. We took this into consideration and established price points from here.
Retail and consumer habits are changing significantly, both in terms of expectations but also in terms of value. The growth in rental is testament to that change and also highlights consumers growing preference for experience over ownership.
What are your top Girl Meets Dress picks this season?
My personal two favourite dresses from the latest season are the Blue Flower Dress by Chi Chi and the Mareika dress by Marc Jacobs.
What would be your top tips for anyone thinking about launching their own business?
1. Although not 100% necessary, I recommend choosing an area that you know something about. There are exciting ways to pioneer every market, whichever field you love. Of course, you can learn about any new topic – but will you be able to compete with people with years of knowledge and expertise.
2. Find a Co-Founder with different skill sets to you. This is a brilliant way to launch without needing to hire a full team on day 1. If you can split the main areas of the business between you, then you can launch with minimal cost and test the product at market – which is the first step to seeing if there is demand.
3. Don’t over think it. There will never be a perfect time to leave your secure job, risk your salary decrease, take a chance on an idea which might not work – but what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll go back to your previous role until you come up with the next idea!
When attending an event do you have any essential items packed in your handbag?
I carry the usual…cell phone, keys, beauty products, Girl Meets Dress business cards, etc.
What’s been your peak and pit moment on the Girl Meets Dress journey?
Dressing so many women every day is what drives us. In reality we help create those “Cinderella moments” be it an 18-year-old wearing her dream Alexander McQueen dress to a prom, or a top executive that wants to wear an asymmetric ruffled yellow dress from the latest Lanvin collection.
Everyday is challenge when starting your own business, there have always been obstacles. But we have seized every chance and turned it into an opportunity by learning from it.
What do you like to do in your free time, or is there such a thing when running your own business?
Starting a business requires hard work and dedication. So of course most of my time is devoted to Girl Meets Dress. But there should always be time for friends and family.
Can you let us know what’s in store for Girl Meets Dress?
We started International delivery in 2014 and have expanded into Europe, targeting customers from over 30 different countries including France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
This is the first time designer rental has been made accessible in Europe. The expansion will enable customers in all parts of Europe to have access to global designer brands and aligns with the Girl Meets Dress team’s global ambition to build a brand combining e-commerce and merchandising expertise with a deep sense of innovation and luxury.
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