When Courtney Fitzsimmons splashed out $3500 on a designer dress, she knew she spontaneously paid for something she was only going to wear once or twice. “I’m a single mum of four kids and could have paid half a term of school fees,” the 33-year-old tells 7Life. “I couldn’t return the runway dress from Zimmermann and I loved it too much to resell it.” Instead of letting her statement piece go to waste, she listed it on a fashion rental marketplace.
“Within just three weeks of listing it at $325 a hire, I’d made back my money,” Courtney says. The Australian CEO of a finance company has always invested in high-end pieces, so when she realised her little side hustle could lead to a lucrative business, she decided to cash in her wardrobe. “I’ve always been a fan of buying quality clothes and having a limited wardrobe, but a great one,” she explains. “Buying into the ‘fast fashion’ economy doesn’t sit well with me. I would never contribute to the $4 to