Rent the Runway is a new way to actually get couture designers pieces for a fraction of the cost.  Since people can rent handbags, why not rent a dress to match?  According to an article in NY Times, Rent the Runway is hoping to make high-end fashions much more accessible and almost as easy as renting a movie from Netflix.

The rentals run $50 to $200 for a four-night loan and are shipped directly to the customer’s doorstep. After wearing the dress, you can put it into a prepaid envelope and drop it in the mail. Dry cleaning is included in the price, but damage insurance costs $5, and in the case of outright destruction of the dress, the renter is responsible for the full retail price.

Rent the Runway is a great site to rent designer dresses for events, which you normally can’t afford.  However there are a few down sides to this site:

• The clothes are not catered to plus size women.  The largest size was a 10.
• The dresses are so beautiful; it would be very difficult to give them up.

Rent the Runway has only been in existence for maybe a month now, so hopefully, more designers will become part of this phenomenon.  And hopefully, some of these designers will carry plus size clothing.

Either way “I love it”!

Companies like Target and now H&M are using their stores as an affordable fashion platform. Great designs are the essence of the Target brand. Target partners with world-class designers to offer amazing products at affordable prices.  Target list of fashion designer have been Isaac Mizrahi, Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, and Mossimo (to name a few).  And this list of designers will continue to get longer with the GO International™ an innovative program designed to provide affordable fashion created by emerging designers. GO International is an exciting way to deliver the latest style to their female customers at the prices they expect from Target.  The next fashion designer was announced Dec. 4^th, 2009, which is Rodarte.

According to Target’s press release, known for directional designs, intricate detailing and standout, red carpet dresses, Rodarte will launch an exclusive collection on Target.com/go and at most Target stores nationwide on December 20, 2009.  The amazingly-priced collection of women’s apparel, belts and legwear, will be available through January 31, 2010.

Fashion designs at affordable prices.  If you’re a single young woman who is in school like me, I love to go shopping, however I have to make sure I go to the right stores for the right price and still look fashionable.  Several stores are creating a platform for designers to showcase their fashion line at affordable prices.

H&M. Jimmy Choo is now at selected H&M stores.  His shoes are sexy and fashionable.  According to H&M press release, this autumn, British accessory brand Jimmy Choo will bring its international glamour and covetable shoes and bags to selected H&M stores. The collection will be available from November 14 in around 200 stores across the world. It is the first time that H&M is collaborating with an accessories brand, and to celebrate Jimmy Choo will extend its design vision for this collection to women’s clothing to complement the accessories. Further exciting news is that this collaboration includes a men’s collection of shoes, bags and accessories.