Dive Brief:
- Urban Outfitters Inc.-owned women’s clothing rental subscription company Nuuly is releasing a capsule collection of items upcycled from 1,300 denim garments retired from its inventory, according to a news release shared with Fashion Dive.
- The collection is made in collaboration with Zero Waste Daniel, a designer who primarily uses pre-consumer waste from New York City’s garment industry to upcycle pieces. The 10-piece capsule includes denim tops, bottoms and dresses.
- Nuuly has been a growth driver for Urban Outfitters Inc. and is anticipating further expansion. In February, it opened a new fulfillment center in Raymore, Missouri, which is expected to provide the company with capacity to triple its active subscriber base.
Dive Insight:
The new collection also incorporates upcycled materials from Urban Outfitters Inc. partner FabScrap, per the release. The new collection would ordinarily retail from $300 to $400, but Nuuly’s subscription model allows users to rent six items a month for $98.
The collection is part of the rental service’s Re_Nuuly initiative, which it launched in 2021 in a move to decrease clothing waste and increase product longevity, per the release. The company said in the release that since its launch, Re_Nuuly has extended the life of more than 5,800 “previously retired garments.”
“We were thrilled to team up with Zero Waste Daniel, a visionary designer who perfectly embodies our commitment to circularity,” Sky Pollard, head of product at Nuuly, said in the release. “Daniel’s signature zero-waste approach aligns perfectly with our Re_Nuuly program, and transforming over a thousand pieces from our retired rental inventory into an entirely new capsule collection is a testament to his creativity and dedication to minimizing fashion’s environmental impact.”
The collaboration with Zero Waste Daniel marks the seventh since Re_Nuuly’s launch, according to a Nuuly spokesperson. It had previously collaborated with Hum + Bee, Riley Vintage, Tricia Fix, The Series and Drexel students.
Zero Waste Daniel’s work first went viral in 2017, according to the release, and he continues to create lines of genderless clothing and accessories from hard-to-recycle materials.
“Creating an upcycled collection for Nuuly customers is the dream,” Daniel Silverstein, founder and designer of Zero Waste Daniel, said in the release. “Since I began my label, I've envisioned large scale collaborations with major brands. I strive to demonstrate that we can add time and talent to these retired garments, transforming them into something new right here in New York City.”
Urban Outfitters Inc., holding company of its namesake brand, Anthropologie and Free People, launched Nuuly in 2019 as a rental service for its brands as well as third-party labels and vintage pieces.
Nuuly increased its net sales by $20.3 million, driven by a 56% increase in active subscribers year-over-year, according to Urban Outfitter’s February financial results.
The rental service was also subject of a trade secrets lawsuit, in which now defunct Le Tote accused Urban Outfitters Inc. of unfair competition and unjust enrichment. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled in favor of Urban Outfitters, following a unanimous jury verdict.
Overall, Urban Outfitters Inc. reported $47.8 million in net income in its most recent earnings report in February. The company recently announced a partnership with financial infrastructure company Stripe for online and in-person payments, according to a separate press release shared with Fashion Dive.
