Startup Q&A: Eshita Kabra-Davies, Founder, By Rotation

RTIH: Tell us about By Rotation

EKD: By Rotation is the UK’s first and only fashion rental app. Launched in October 2019, it is also the largest and fastest growing fashion rental platform with over 15,000 users across the nation.

As a purely peer-to-peer platform, users can rent and lend designer fashion thereby promoting a more circular approach to consumption.

RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?

EKD: I founded By Rotation as a side hustle in April 2019 before quitting my job in investment management in order to focus my time on bringing about change in the fashion industry.

In late 2018, I was planning my honeymoon to my motherland Rajasthan, India and turned to Instagram for inspiration – cities to go to, hotels to stay at, landmarks to visit, restaurants to eat at and… what to wear.

That’s when I started thinking about fashion rental and the lack of options in the UK, a very first-world problem, and how pragmatic it would be to just borrow from someone else.

When I arrived in Rajasthan, I was upset by the level of textile waste she saw everywhere. That’s when I felt compelled to change and decided to launch By Rotation, the UK’s first (peer-to-peer) fashion rental app.

RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?

EKD: We have had overwhelming support from our networks, our early adopters and users of By Rotation and national and international media.

The fashion industry’s polluting ways have been well-documented over the past decade and I believe that social media has enabled end users such as myself to question the producers directly. The awakening we have seen amongst many people has been supportive of the trend towards more conscious consumerism (and therefore rental).

RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?

EKD: Shifting mainstream perception and mindset around renting clothing and reassuring people that it is no different than sleeping in someone's Airbnb or even using towels in a hotel. A lot of people still tell us they would find it weird for someone else to wear their clothes - which is totally understandable.

If your clothes are a tool for self-expression then it is normal to be bound to them somewhat personally (by the way, this also means you are shopping the right way!) But a handful of our users who joined with doubts are hooked after trying ‘rotating’ just once, from the mere satisfaction that comes with seeing someone else wear and love your items. It makes you feel proud because you know you’ve done something good for the planet and made money in the process.

“The fashion industry’s polluting ways have been well-documented over the past decade and I believe that social media has enabled end users such as myself to question the producers directly”

There is no way our planet can digest the 24 million items that are being bought at H&M alone every day. Business models and circular systems such as By Rotation are the future of consumption, while upcycling and new methods of production such as digital clothing will provide the creative and viable alternatives to new fashion.

I believe consumers are becoming aware, but I believe there is still a lot of work to be done by large corporations in changing their production methods and how they push consumption.

For By Rotation, I truly believe that making quality fashion accessible to people from all walks of life will help in curbing the linear path of consumption where the average person is on. We want to transform the way that we consume fashion and disrupt the usual journey of retail through rental.

We are setting out to convince everyone that we no longer need to buy fast fashion and can instead share quality clothing with each other. After all, what may no longer feel new to you can actually be new for somebody else.

RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the omnichannel retail sector right now?

EKD: With the global pandemic in mind, I believe physical experiences such as stores, pop-ups, logistics raise numerous health hazards and financial viability concerns. While I am no expert in the retail sector, I do believe these are all areas that have been facing disruption over the past decade.

We have witnessed the resilience of e-commerce and social media channels displayed during the lockdown period and I strongly believe the average consumer will want more of these conveniences at home (as opposed to in-person).

RTIH: What's the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by a.) an investor and b.) a customer?

EKD: Investor: If By Rotation were to produce a TV show, what would it be about? I’m still figuring this out!

Customer: What do you enjoy most about your work as a founder at By Rotation? I love seeing regular consumers, much like myself, enjoying the community aspect and the affordability of rotating designer fashion - along with the awareness of fashion overconsumption. Our users are becoming more educated - which shows our commitment and work in transforming the way fashion is consumed.