Our story
Dressr is the result of a personal and professional pursuit for a responsible way of enjoying fashion.
Our founder, Caroline Cecile Baeten, has always loved beautiful clothing and in her younger years would likely be found pounding the pavement on the hunt for fast-fashion bargains to pair with her more unique, second-hand treasures.
Over the years, as Caroline became more aware of the
impact of the fast fashion industry on human rights and our natural environment, she began searching for ways to enjoy fashion without the harmful side effects.
In her journey from sale seeker, to conscious consumer she discovered the incredible world of designer rental, and Dressr was born.
Caroline currently lives in Antwerp, with her husband Jelle and daughter Filippa, living and breathing the Dressr story full-time.
A huge thank you goes to Flanders DC, Vlerick Business School, Start it @KBC, Vlaio, PMV/z and Caroline’s personal and professional network and most of all the Dressr team – you are the people who help make Dressr a reality every day.
Sustainability
Dressr is here to help fashion enthusiasts and ethically-minded brands lead the transition towards a more sustainable future of fashion.
Long-term, our platform is designed to reduce the pressure on the production of new items, minimizing waste created by both the fashion industry and consumers.
This is achieved by:
- Empowering our members to change their purchasing behaviors long-term
- Offering sustainable over-stock solutions for high-quality local brands
- Redefining the rental space for a high-fashion audience
Our 2020 research collaboration with independent Flemish research organization VITO* showed that even on a small scale, Dressr’s model works. Throughout the study, items rented on Dressr had significantly higher wear turns than traditionally purchased items. These findings demonstrate that long-term, our model will contribute to a reduction in pollution generated by the fashion production process.
“Dressr has the potential to reduce the ecological impact of clothing, even when taking transport into account”
– VITO
We are continuously working towards making both our service and our internal organization more future-proof. The more we grow, the bigger our impact and the more people and brands we support in being more responsible with fashion.
*The collaboration with VITO was set up by Start it @KBC.
