Ruth La Ferla of The New York Times knows how to make an impression on the impressionable.
During the round of parties preceding the New York Fashion Week, Stephen Knoll, a hair stylist, gave my satchel- size Yves Saint Laurent Muse bag the once-over.
“Handsome,” he murmured. Then he focused on my Marni coat, with its spray of plastic flowers. “Gorgeous,” he pronounced. I neglected to tell him that both were rentals, leased with the objective of drawing covetous stares from my peers. Confessing would have spoiled the fun.
Milton Pedraza, the director of the Luxury Institute, a consumer research group, would have said I was renting not just a look but an experience: In this case, the feeling of one-upmanship that comes with flaunting the season’s most sought-after items.
Luxury goods rental companies Bag Borrow or Steal, Borrowed Bling and Albright are mentioned in the article.
Well, that’s good news. At least we can wear branded ones by not buying them.