Carrie Symonds' rented wedding dress spurs bridal hire surge

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 1, 2021

The news that Carrie Symonds married UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a rented dress has spurred a surge of interest in bridal rentals, according to specialist Hurr.

The company said on Tuesday that the white boho appliquéd embroidered tulle gown by Greek fashion designer Christos Costarellos was rented for less than £45 and would have cost almost £300 to buy.

Symonds, like most Prime Ministerial consorts, has already shown herself to be something of a fashion influencer with a number of her style choices selling out after she’s been photographed wearing them.

But her high-profile choice of a rented wedding dress seems to have made the biggest impact and it’s clear that bridal is one area where fashion rentals have massive potential.

Rental is already an established channel for men and many women are also likely to be attracted by the idea of a more affordable choice for the big day and not being stuck with a dress they won’t ever wear again.

Hurr said that after the news broke, its Hurr Bridal site saw a surge of more than 268% in rentals, some booking as far ahead as autumn 2022. 

Co-founder Victoria Prew said: “We have seen a steady and increasing interest in Bridal, but the web traffic and booking accelerated notably over the bank holiday weekend.”

The company added that the global online clothing rental market by end-users is expected to grow by £990 million, at a CAGR of almost 10% from 2021 to 2025.