Why Browns Fashion's collaboration with luxury rental company Armarium cements its place as the nicest retailer in fashion

The sharing economy for luxury fashion has come to nest in central London for two weeks, as luxury rental emporium Armarium partners with none other than its ostensible competitor, Browns Fashion. 

But unlike the cuckoo bird, who overtakes its host’s nest and shoves out their eggs to make room for their own, Armarium, the US-based company that rents out the likes of Christopher Kane, Alessandra Rich and Prabal Gurung to a clientele who can afford to buy them outright, will most likely help Browns attract a new roster of clientele.

“It’s cool to be kind, and kindness is all about sharing,” says the Browns press release nonchalantly. It’s a surprising philosophy for a multi-brand retailer in a landscape bursting with places to buy Gucci, Balenciaga and Cavalli.

Huishan Zhang Jodie floral embroidered dress, ￡1,610, available to rent for ￡210, Browns

But Browns has a reputation as the nicest retailer on the planet, and this initiative cements that position. It not only encourages a shared economy within the luxury market, but also cooperation amongst those who usually vie for exclusives.

Since arriving as CEO at Browns in 2015, Net-A-Porter alum Holli Rogers has engendered an attitude that promotes cooperation, ease (with its 'Store of the Future' concept with Farfetch) and niceness, within a world that's typically more focused on elbowing out competitors and snobbery when it comes to customers.

Armarium co-founder and CEO Trisha Gregory, who spent nine years as US senior director of PR at Salvatore Ferragamo, had noticed a market for women who attend multiple events a month and young professionals who need something great to wear on dates or to weddings, but don’t want to splash the full price tag for a special-occasion piece they might only wear once or twice.

Ashish sequin embellished ruffled dress, ￡2,625, available to rent for ￡335, Browns

She attracted investors who understood that if we can share our cars and homes, we could certainly share clothes too. And the rental market for a Brandon Maxwell or Marc Jacobs dress makes sense for those situations when you want to make an entrance, but can’t necessarily make the space in an already overfilled closet (physically and philosophically).

A sustainable solution presented itself, with Armarium making a highly curated edit of the best collections each season. It partners with forward-thinking brands who understand the luxury rental market, and that a successful rental can easily lead to new customers.

Roksanda silk midi dress with ruched sleeves, ￡1,995, available to rent for ￡275, Browns

The luxury re-sale market is booming, with rarely-worn pieces selling on Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal and, of course, eBay. The industry is full of conversations about the sustainability of our closets and the life-cycle of our clothes.

Browns' pioneering partnership with Armarium is the latest step in its “augmented retail” concept, placing the customer firmly at its core. I, for one hope that these kinds of surprising collaborations will long continue.

The Armarium pop-up runs until June 29 at Browns South Molton Street;  23-27 South Molton Street, W1K 5RD