Cercle: The Innovative Fashion Rental Platform for Sustainable Style

If you haven’t heard about Cercle, where have you been?!  Cercle is a revolutionary fashion rental platform founded by Coco Baraer Panazza, aimed at encouraging individuals to consume less but access more. With its focus on shared ownership, Cercle allows you to access unique and treasured pieces while reducing your impact on the environment.  We sat down with Cercle’s founder to discuss the platform and why it is revolutionary in the rental space.

CERCLE Founder, Coco Baraer Panazza

Coco’s personal experience of living out of suitcases and borrowing from friends and family during her nomadic years abroad, inspired her to create a fashion rental platform that provides access to unique and treasured pieces. Her heavily edited wardrobe, consisting of one-off pieces with a story behind each, became the inspiration behind Cercle’s ethos.

For Coco, Cercle is more than just a rental platform. It is a way of living that encourages individuals to adopt a minimalist lifestyle, while still having maximum access to fashion. By renting outfits for special occasions instead of buying them, we not only save money but also reduce our impact on the environment. Cercle’s circular economy of style sharing is an innovative solution that allows us to enjoy fashion without contributing to the fast fashion industry’s harmful effects on the planet.

Cercle’s name, derived from the French phrase ‘cercle d’amis‘ or ‘circle of friends’, highlights the importance of shared ownership and community. The platform encourages users to share their unique pieces, providing access to a diverse range of fashion items that they may not have been able to afford otherwise. The sense of community that Cercle fosters is one of its greatest strengths. It brings together like-minded individuals who share a passion for fashion and sustainability, creating a community of fashion lovers who are committed to reducing their impact on the environment.

During our conversation, Panazza spoke about the “5 C’s” that make up the foundation of the brand’s core: Convenience, demonstrated by the opening of a showroom in Maida Vale for personalized 1-2-1 appointments; Curation, allowing customers to have a customized edit made for them; Community-driven initiatives, including collaborations with charities such as the British Red Cross; Circularity, with a commitment to finding innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of dry cleaning through methods like oxygen chambers and wet washing; and Charity, where individuals have the choice to support their preferred causes.

image of Coco Pannazza in the CERCLE showroom
Founder Coco, in CERCLE's Maida Vale showroom

She mentioned that they also offer a unique service in allowing customers to try on pieces via WhatsApp and arrange in-person try-ons before renting. With a curated selection of clothing, the team aims to provide a personal styling service in a homely and intimate environment. 

Cercle is making renting your wardrobe is just as aspirational as buying new. With its emphasis on quality, uniqueness, and sustainability and are redefining the fashion industry by encouraging individuals to consume less but access more. 

Share This Story

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Pinterest
WhatsApp

Related Posts