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Sustainable Brand of the Year Nominee
Words Jennifer Engmann
Shika Bodani
Founder of Front Row
Who would think a former finance professional would be thriving in the fashion industry as one of the UK’s leading luxury designer rental companies? Introducing Shika Bodani, the founder of Front Row. Bodani having studied finance and worked in a private equity firm, decided to turn her love for fashion and sustainability into a business. Inspired by the American rental platform Rent the Runway when studying at NYU, she trialled the concept amongst her family and friends, then launched the company in 2016. Front Row offers buyers the opportunity to rent luxury piece’s from designers such as Balmain, Fendi and Versace. With sustainability at the centre of the company, Front Row allows renters to keep the items for 5 days now with the option of renting them for a longer period depending on their needs. The success of Front Row is a testament to Bodani’s vision for the rental world in fashion, even while not working with the designers directly, Bodani offers a wide range of options for any woman. There are many more things to come from Front Row in the near future.
Victoria Prew
Co-Founder and CEO of HURR
Since the launch of the rental platform, HURR has gone from strength to strength. In 2020 Prew was recognised by Forbes for their ‘30 under 30’ list as one of the first fashion rental platforms in the UK for actively working towards reducing the amount of wastage fast fashion produces. By combining the need for a sustainable solution that will also attract a millennial generation, HURR allows for a peer-to-peer marketplace where both renters and lenders can form a community of forward-thinking women. Founding the company in 2017, the platform has grown exponentially, with Selfridges partnering with the company to launch its very first step into the rental market with Hurr online. Another huge achievement was that the company was named by RWRC as one of the top retail startups in the world, Prew has maintained the demand for shoppers to change their ways of buying new clothes by choosing to rent more. Having access to over 65 designers and retailers, the company is a leader in the move to make fashion more sustainable.