Exploring fashion online rentals & discussing their implementation in Finland

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Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis

Authors

Date

2021

Department

muo

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Master’s Programme in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design

Language

en

Pages

77

Series

Abstract

Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, we produce more than what we consume. And the way we consume it, is unsustainable and harms our planet. Today, in response to the overproduction plaguing every continent, the industry turned its head to services. The question asked is: if most of our garments are not used most of the time, why then keep them in our closets? In this way, can fashion become circular? From manufacturing goods, to providing services, the transition is real and already happening, at least in the western world. And as any transitional period, the road to the end of the tunnel is obscure. Therefore, this master thesis’s objective is to shed light on how these fashion service providers and more specifically, online rental platforms engage with their customers in the global context. Using qualitative methods, the data collected proved to be extremely diversified in terms of each company’s offerings. Therefore, to navigate it efficiently, six umbrella questions were answered in this order: Who owns the goods? What are the features proposed? Are these businesses sustainable? What is the economic potential? Are they appealing to consumers? And what are the risks involved? The author’s point of view, as a fashion designer, is blended to the discussion for each of these questions to finally conclude with suggestions and concept-ideas aimed at the wider Finnish fashion community, and those who wish to embrace this new way of doing business, said to revolutionize the way we dress.

Description

Supervisor

Niinimäki, Kirsi

Thesis advisor

Karell, Essi

Keywords

service design, sustainability, circular fashion, digital platform, business model, holistic

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Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-2021112810459

Collections

[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS