Rent Out Clothes, Run a Business: Learn from the Mavens Behind Clothing Rental Shop Continuiti

Clothing rentals are a viable business venture, especially for those interested in fashion. 

Many young aspiring entrepreneurs tend to gravitate toward clothing-related businesses. Some prefer to introduce new brands and sell their own designs while others opt for the thrift shop model and offer pre-loved items at affordable prices. 

For those looking for something different, here’s a business idea you can explore: clothing rentals. While seemingly straightforward, running such a business entails unique challenges that owners need to navigate. 

To understand how clothing rentals work as a business, The Business Manual spoke to the founders of Continuiti: Katarina Cruz, Samantha Villavicencio, and Rocio Escaño. 

Borrowing Clothes Started It All 

The three founders of Continuiti are long-time friends who found themselves being invited to the same events. And with every event they got invited to, they noticed they were asking each other the same questions. What are you wearing? Do you want to borrow?

“Suddenly, my closet of one became a closet times three with us exchanging clothes back and forth,” Samantha recalls. “It became clear—why not extend this fashion solution to all the other girls out there like us struggling with fashion emergencies one event at a time?”

“Funnily enough, one of the first sparks came from a compliment—’I love your dress, would you rent that out?’ That one question opened the door to something bigger,” Katarina reveals.

What started as a small passion project that turned expenses into assets ended up becoming what Continuiti is today: a shared closet of nearly a thousand items being continuously shared across one community. 

“My business partners and I started with our own closet[s], our friends modeling the clothes, boyfriends helping us carry boxes of dresses, and our own hand behind each shot taken, each note written, each post edited, and dress delivered,” Samantha explains. “It was definitely a rollercoaster of everything moving all at once but one of the core memories of my life is being able to pull it off all together.” 

The founders of Continuiti come from different backgrounds and have completely different skill sets, but shared the same dream—to make dressing up feel exciting, effortless, and accessible again.

“I’d say we were lucky in finding each other, but even luck needs the right timing, trust, and a lot of late-nights (and spreadsheets!),” Rocio says.

Choosing Rental

It goes without saying that all three of them love fashion, and it’s no surprise they came up with a business idea that revolves around clothes. 

“We grew up hearing that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. So we ran with that and turned our love for fashion into a full-fledged career,” Katarina says.

“Our goal is to make style more accessible, to create an environment where people can express themselves and feel good doing it.”

The three ladies have always loved expressing ourselves through dressing up. “It’s how we show up in the world,” explains Samantha.

“At the same time, we saw how Manila’s fashion scene was evolving and felt a gap: people wanted to try new things, but there wasn’t a convenient or affordable way to do it. So we leaned into what we loved and what the city needed.”

Rocio claims that heir decision to opt for clothing rental over selling original or thrifted pieces came from a mix of practicality and love for dressing up.

“We wanted access to beautiful pieces—without the commitment or hefty price tag. And we didn’t want to just own more,” she says. “Rental gave us that sweet spot: circular, conscious, and still fun. It felt like the future of fashion, and we wanted to bring that future here.”

Katarina recalls a time when someone referred to her as an ‘outfit repeater.’ It made her stop and think.

“Why was that even a thing? Clothes are meant to be worn again and again,” she points out.

That moment really stuck with Katarina and later on, shaped how she and her partners approached putting up their business. They wanted to build something rooted in sustainability, but also in joy.

“There’s a certain thrill in wearing something beautiful for the first time, and with our model, that thrill can be experienced repeatedly by different people.”

“Instead of giving a garment just one life, we’re giving it many,” she adds.

For Katarina, Samantha, and Rocio, it’s their way of “honoring the resources we take from the earth and making the most of them.”

“It’s fashion that feels good, inside and out.”

Forging a New Kind of Shopping Behavior

While all three founders of Continuiti say that running a clothing rental business is not for the faint of heart, they find excitement in being part of something that challenges norms while empowering people to express themselves more freely.

“We’re not just selling a product—we’re creating an experience, a lifestyle shift, and a new kind of shopping behavior,” Rocio points out. 

As the concept of clothing rental may not be familiar to some, Continuiti’s founders have placed heavy emphasis on not just selling, but also storytelling. 

“For many people, it’s a mindset shift, so we show them what’s possible: how rental can be aspirational and easy, circular, and cool,” Samantha says. “A lot of our marketing is community-first—we’d rather show than tell.”

The founders’ goal of making rental easy and circular is reflected in Continuiti’s straightforward, hassle-free system. A client first has to select the piece they want to rent before selecting their preferred rental period and mode of delivery. 

The rented item is sent to the client on the same day. All the client has to do after wearing the item is to return it in its original packaging. There is no need to worry about cleaning the rented item after use—Continuiti handles that.

Is a Clothing Rental Business Ideal for Everyone?

“Rental is a different game—it’s operationally complex but creatively fulfilling. If you’re deeply passionate about circularity, systems, and storytelling, then it’s worth exploring,” says Katarina. “But like anything, it has to come from a place of genuine care for the experience you’re building.”

To those who wish to dip their toes in the fashion and apparel industry, Rocio recommends listening to both the market and what you, as a business owner, would find exciting. 

“There’s no one way to enter the space,” she says. “Sometimes the best ideas come from asking, ‘What do I wish existed that doesn’t, yet?’”

Samantha cautions those interested in starting a clothing rental business not to hyperfocus on fashion alone. 

“Make sure you’re not just in love with fashion, but with operations, with systems, with people,” she advises. “The pieces are just the tip of the iceberg. What’s underneath—the logistics, the tech, the trust—that’s what really makes it magical.”

Read more:

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