We sat down with Sara Alemzadeh and Ranya Khalil, co-founders of Designer 24, the first designer rental website in the UAE. In just one year the website has quickly picked up steam – and, rightfully so. In a region where women have an affinity for high fashion and a busy event calendar, Designer 24’s concept is ingenious and boundless. We find out how the two women met (Sara an Iranian raised in New York with an extensive career at Morgan Stanley and Ranya a Lebanese raised in London with a history in luxury retail), how their brainchild came into play and ‘who’ people are wearing.
How did you ladies meet?
We met through a mutual friend when we were both living in London. We instantly shared the same entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. Designer-24 was then born!
How did you come up with this brilliant concept?
We saw space for a completely new fashion concept in the Middle East. Online retail is becoming a huge economic driver in the region and we understand that women in the UAE have a huge love for luxury fashion as well as a heavy events calendar where they are in need of a new outfit each time and do not want to be seen in the same dress more than once. People don’t always want to spend a lot of money especially with the growing prominence of social media today.
What is your process for selecting dresses / designers – do you have any specific criteria?
We’ve made it extremely easy for customers to navigate around the website; we have a tab that you can select to view all of the ‘Designers’ we carry so you can search per your favorite brand and we have a tab called ‘Occasions’, so whether you’re searching for a dress for a cocktail party or for the perfect outfit for a summer vacation it’s split accordingly.
Any plans to expand and include bags, jewelry, or any other items?
In the next few months we do have plans to introduce accessories that customers can pair with the dresses, which is very exciting for us.
What is your favorite dress available on the website?
We do not have one dress in particular that we love on the website. However, the couture gowns such as Naeem Khan and Marchesa dresses are definitely extra special dresses that we love.
What is your most popular item?
We have so many dresses that go back out to another customer the day they come back to our warehouse from laundry. We have one beautiful strapless raspberry Marchesa lace dress that has been rented countless times. The Victoria Secret Angel Adriana Lima has even worn it!
Do you think men could ever be interested in such a service?
So many men have asked us if we’d consider adding suits for men. Men love this business … and love it for their women. Who wouldn’t want to spend less and look glamorous? Our biggest fans are men!
Do dresses always come back in a good state? Could you share an anecdote with us?
Women treat our dresses as if they are their own. We do charge a mandatory small insurance fee, which covers minor stains and damages. We want women to feel comfortable wearing our dresses.
According to you, who will be the "it" designer of the summer?
We have recently introduced some new designers such as Erin Fetherston, Tadashi Shoji and Philip Armstrong. These designers are already proving to be popular with our customers and are adding something really new and exciting to our collections. Greta Constantine continues to shine- their latest spring/summer collection is absolutely gorgeous and in very high demand.
Yalda Zacca
