By Jenna Blair
Last month, I went with the rest of CDR’s executive board members to New York City to visit some fashion/beauty PR firms, attend a Broadway show, and have dinner with some alumni. The three agencies we visited were Rebel Gail Communications, Rent the Runway, and Krupp Group. Although I enjoyed my experience at each site, Rent the Runway was definitely my favorite!
If you’re not familiar with Rent the Runway, they are an online subscription service where women can rent designer apparel and accessories. The company was founded by Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss in 2009. In the beginning, the company was geared towards women looking for designer dresses for more formal events, such as weddings or proms. Now the company has shifted their focus towards more casual, street style pieces women can wear day-to-day. They have also broadened their horizons by opening five stores in Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; San Francisco and Woodland Hills, California; and Washington, D.C.
As soon as I set foot in Rent the Runway, I knew it was a place I could see myself not only shopping, but working. The atmosphere was bubbly, fresh, and hip, and every employee greeted us with a smile. The store was basically my dream closet. Lexi, a Slippery Rock University alumnus who works at Rent the Runway, and one of her co-workers gave us a tour. As we walked around the store, they explained how the process of renting, returning, and even sometimes purchasing the clothes works for customers. They talked about how technology plays a part in the company and how data analytics helps them pinpoint their target audience and figure out what items their customers are loving or looking to rent. We even had the opportunity to go downstairs to see where the stylists put together new floor sets for the store and see where most Rent the Runway orders are kept until customers come to pick them up.
Having the chance to go to NYC and visit the Rent the Runway headquarters was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. Touring the store and seeing all the young, fashionable employees buzzing around made me really excited about my own future career path. In a handful of years maybe that young, fashionable employee bustling around could be me!
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