Here’s another good news for the avid followers of sustainable and minimalist living looking for new and creative ways to reduce their fashion footprint. Mari Kekäle ja Kaisa Härmälä, the team behind The Ateljé, invite us to jump on the bandwagon of trying out the novel concept of renting our fashion. Not just any fashion, ahem — as far as The Ateljé is concerned, it will only offer a gorgeous curated selection of sustainable designer picks that truly stand the test of time, delivered neat and polished to your doorstep across the country. The fashion rental will open its doors in the Helsinki Design District this month and has plans to enter other European capitals in the future. We at Savant are excited to follow how the modern sustainability advocates help change the fashion industry in their sustainably made Swedish Stockings.
Words: Meri Frig
Credit: Karoliina Jääskeläinen / Valoon Photography
The Ateljé is a new kind of clothing rental service. Can you tell us more about the exciting new concept you’re about to launch?
The Ateljé fashion rental offers outfits for rent anywhere in Finland, whether you live in Helsinki or Haapajärvi. It works like any other web shop, except that the products are for rent. Helsinki locals can also explore our collections in our shop that will open in the city’s Design District. Both the web shop and the shop will open soon in August 2020.
What are the values behind the concept?
Everything starts with responsibility: with The Ateljé, we want to build a more sustainable world of fashion. Fast fashion, overconsumption, the old-fashioned emphasis on trends and seasons and constant bargain sales make an unbearable combination. A garment simply cannot go bad, like milk. Research shows that the textile industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the shipping and aviation industries combined.
We believe that a sustainable wardrobe consists of favorites as well as of timeless high-quality classics. However, we are aware of how much joy and confidence new items bring — we do not want to undermine that experience! There are many events, such as parties, presentations, and other special occasions for which the everyday wardrobe simply does not serve: the fashion rental provides a solution for these situations.
The carbon dioxide emissions of the textile industry would decrease even by 44% if clothes would be used twice as long. With our fashion rental, we can assure that the garments in our collection will be used as many times as possible. We can also make sure that clothes are washed, taken care of, and amended in the best possible way, taking our precious environment into consideration.
“Fast fashion, overconsumption, the old-fashioned emphasis on trends and seasons and constant bargain sales make an unbearable combination. A garment simply cannot go bad, like milk.”
Credit: Karoliina Jääskeläinen / Valoon Photography
What sparked the idea for The Ateljé?
It all started with the opinion we had that renting garments was not very compelling, and rentals did not truly compete with retail. We wanted to solve this problem. We all know that it is easier to make sustainable choices when it has been made easy and compelling, and when making a responsible decision does not feel like a compromise. With the fashion rental, we want to offer a more responsible manner of enjoying getting dressed-up.
Tell us a little about the amazing team behind The Ateljé. How do you know each other?
Credit: Karoliina Jääskeläinen / Valoon Photography
We used to be colleagues, then we became friends. We share so many passions: good design, high-quality customer service and retail business are topics with which we have worked together countless times. A vision about a business was therefore a natural step.
“Parameters, such as how the brand understands different aspects of social responsibility, and how transparent is their supply chain, were very important for us.”
Which brands do you have on offer in the fashion rental? What do you require from the brands that you have chosen to include in your selection?
Our brand selection is a collection of small, big, local, and international brands: Andiata, Katri Niskanen, Anni Ruuth, Helmut Lang, Samuji, TEIJA and Theory. They are unified by good and timeless design: when we started listing well-suited brands, we thought about who produces high-quality items that stand the test of time. Naturally, parameters, such as how the brand understands different aspects of social responsibility, and how transparent is their supply chain, were very important for us. We are very proud of all brands that have joined us. When we pitched the idea to the brands, we were always received in a very open-minded and positive manner. Many of the brands are involved in the fashion rental business for the first time.
In addition to the rented items, we will have a small selection of carefully chosen products which we are also very excited about: Keski-Pomppu’s gorgeous handcrafted jewellery, Swedish Stockings’ sustainable stockings that are made of recycled materials and are of the highest quality possible, and Arkive Ateliér’s clothing maintenance products, which are essential for sustainable consumption.
“With the fashion rental, we want to offer a more responsible manner of enjoying getting dressed-up.”
Credit: Karoliina Jääskeläinen / Valoon Photography
Which companies or brands do you follow for inspiration?
Our hearts beat for customer centricity, and we shiver with excitement every time we have a great customer experience — the team behind the Finnish furniture manufacturer Hakola is exceptionally skilled in this.
Naturally, we also follow the frontrunner, Rent the Runway, which has operated in United States for more than ten years. They have done an incredible job changing the consumption patterns of large groups of people to a completely new direction.