Fashion innovators launch Slay Bae, a designer dress rental club to end the “wear-it-once” wardrobe

Fashion entrepreneurs Rachel Buckmaster and Kirsty Neville have officially launched Slay Bae, a new designer dress rental membership designed to offer a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to purchasing a new dress for every summer event, wedding or holiday.

With UK shoppers spending billions a year on outfits worn just once before being discarded, it’s estimated that 360,000 tonnes of clothing are binned annually in the UK. 

Recognising the growing need for rental summer party dresses that can be worn for more than one occasion, the UK-wide platform allows its members to rent designer pieces from brands like Nadine Merabi, Oh Polly, House of CB and Rat and Boa for a fraction of the retail price. 

Slay Bae aims to tackle the waste associated with single-wear event dressing while providing professional cleaning and door-to-door delivery. Unlike many pay-per-rental  services, Slay Bae runs on a monthly credit system (starting from £25 per month for 300 credits and going up to £100/month for 1800 credits to curate a summer wardrobe). The company also rewards customers for their long-term commitment to renting rather than shopping, with a VIP upgrade after 3 consecutive months, free birthday outfits and free January subscriptions.

Credits can be redeemed against hundreds of stylish pieces  and members can keep an item for as long as their membership is active, rather than working to a fixed return date. When they’re ready for a new piece, they simply send the item back via a pre-prepared envelope. The UK-wide platform includes free next-day delivery, free returns, professional cleaning between wears and fully recyclable packaging. 

Slay Bae was founded to address both the environmental and financial impact that comes with social media trends of purchasing expensive outfits for one-off occasions. By offering a curated collection of dream dresses and designer labels, the brand enables fashion enthusiasts to refresh their wardrobes for events and holidays without a big investment. 

“We’re so excited to finally be launching Slay Bae. We’ve heard from so many customers that their dream designer pieces are out of reach and we want to change that. Our credit model means you’re not boxed into a strict rental window,” says Rachel Buckmaster, co-founder of Slay Bae. “You can stack credits toward one dream dress for festival season, or spread them across a whole holiday wardrobe, it’s built around how people actually wear designer pieces, not a countdown clock,” she adds.

The brand was founded after the pair noticed how much money,  and how many barely-worn dresses , were being driven by one-off “outfit of the day” culture on social media, she adds.

About Slay Bae

Slay Bae is a UK-based fashion rental platform specialising in designer party wear, offering members access to pieces from brands including Nadine Merabi, Oh Polly, House of CB and Rat & Boa from £25/month.