Marley Alles, a former accountant, started Rax earlier this year as a peer-to-peer clothing rental startup based in Toronto. Rax is one of the city’s early alternatives to emerge as a vibrant community platform. It allows customers to hire clothes straight from high-street and designer fashion. With about 5,000 users already on the app, Rax has taken off fast in the hot fashion rental app market.
This unique platform provides deeply affordable home-long rentals lasting up to six months. This innovative feature really differentiates it from competitors like Rent-the-Runway and ByRotation. This innovative approach leads the fashion industry toward a more circular future. It provides consumers with high-quality apparel without the need for ownership. Marley Alles was inspired to build Rax after learning about the financial strains that came with purchasing seven+ bridesmaid dresses and bachelorette party looks.
“That’s what led me, long story short, to create Rax,” said Alles. Her individual story is exemplary of a growing trend in consumer preferences. Consumers can no longer ignore the demand for eco-friendly and wallet-friendly apparel.
Rax’s creative approach to the rental market is what makes it unique. To attract new customers and help foster future loyalty, Rax is additionally adopting a “building in public” approach. This method has been crucial in creating buzz and building suspense around the company’s products while establishing credibility with users.
Rax recently made waves by winning best consumer pitch at the TechCrunch Battlefield competition. This incredible recognition only adds to its reputation as a leader in the sustainable fashion rental industry. Having just won the Rachael Ray’s Hatching Challenge, Rax is looking to New York City now. Through this expansion, the company hopes to leverage one of the US’ largest fashion hubs.
Marley Alles thinks that Rax distinguishes itself from the competition. It accomplishes this by moving the needle to rewarding long-lasting rentals, rather than just daily ones. “And then once I got there, I was like ‘oh, that’s it,” she noted when discussing how her vision for Rax has evolved since its inception.
Rax is experiencing a meteoric expansion. It seeks to provide consumers a more eco-friendly alternative to participating in the fashion industry. Rax really dares its users to question their consumption patterns. Second, by giving them a stylish alternative to fast fashion, it inspires them to make the leap into shared clothing resources.
