Tommy Hilfiger launches in UK on rental platform Rotaro

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 25, 2022

Tommy Hilfiger has entered a rental partnership with specialist Rotaro in the UK, which it said builds on its “commitment to style, sustainability and circular fashion”, as well as furthering its reach to Gen Z consumers.

The PVH Corp-owned brand has linked up with the British platform and is “aiming to change the way people consume fashion through rental”.

Rotaro currently works with over 90 fashion brands, including JW Anderson, Rixo, and Rotate Birger Christensen.

The new venture launches on Wednesday as a six-month pilot programme that will take in the TommyXRomeo collection, Tommy Jeans and an assortment of “one-of-a-kind” archive pieces. 

“We know and believe that the future of fashion is circular, and our partnership with Rotaro is another meaningful step in exploring circular business models,” said Esther Verburg, EVP, Sustainable Business and Innovation at Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. 

Georgie Hyatt, co-founder and CEO of Rotaro, said: “We are committed to working directly with our brands to enable them to access their circular economy customers and we pride ourselves on our leading technology, innovative campaigns and engaged community.”

This is actually its second pilot programme in the UK rental market and the firm said it “provides invaluable insight into how new consumer engagement with the brand evolves. With a range of products… Rotaro’s youthful community has access to seasonless designs without the need of buying. [Its] approach aims to minimise the operational impact of rented fashion, which aligns with the brand’s sustainability vision and encourages full stylistic expression through rental”.

The company will offer three signature drops, rolling out in phases over the six-month period. 

Drop 1 that launches this week has a summer “Pop Color theme to align with British summertime”. Key looks include 17 pieces from the Tommy Jeans Pop Drop capsule”. There are also seven denim pieces from Tommy Jeans and 11 total styles from the TommyXRomeo collection that was launched last autumn with Brooklyn-based designer Romeo Hunte.

Drop 2 will introduce the archive pieces with a curated collection of vintage items.  

The level of commitment here can be seen from the fact that the launch will also come with a dedicated campaign dubbed Swipe Right On Unlimited Style, “encouraging consumers to break up with fast fashion and use the Rotaro rental platform to experiment with their personal style”. It was shot by photographer James O’Doherty.

The company has launched a number of circularity initiatives, including Tommy For Life, which it piloted in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Denmark. It focuses on resale, rework, rental and trade-in.