Disrupters or service providers?
Rent a gown or cocktail dress is the newest twist on the sharing economy, currently defined in large parts by taxi service Uber and home-rental site Airbnb.
It has the potential to disrupt the $1 billionwomen's apparel market here, experts say, and forever change how and where women get their fashion fix.
But it is not a new concept "given how one would rent bridal gown and bridal evening wear", says Dr Lynda Wee, an adjunct associate professor in retail at the Nanyang Technological University's business school.
"The difference is bridal gowns are easily found through publicity and physical stores. (Now) with just a click, any individual can rent her dress to the masses." she says.
Dr Wee explains that with globalisation and technology, "we now interact and socialise more at networking events, embrace a different lifestyle and need these things".
"Previously there was a lack of 'rent' business enterprises, so we have to buy our own. For such dresses, it is also about being rare.
"When the dress gets overexposed or seen too many times, it lacks uniqueness and hence, appeal," she adds.
With Facebook and Instagram, women do not want to be seen, let alone photographed, more than once or twice in the same dress, especially when the dress is haute couture.
Former editor-in-chief of Elle Singapore Sharon Lim explains that haute couture, which literally means high or exalted dressmaking in French, is actually a legal term set by the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris.
Today, however, it is sometimes used to describe custom-fitted clothing from a luxury high-fashion house.
"It is super expensive because of the materials and craftsmanship that go into the design and making of a piece," she says.
"Because these outfits are so distinctive and memorable, they can be seen as wearable art (with price tags to match). And because of this, they are rarely worn twice, as it is seen as a faux pas if you do."
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