Pre-Loved Podcast: Dresscue

S7 Ep6 DRESSCUE: a rent-a-rack consignment store based on a concept the founder, Kati Kanerva, grew up with in Finland – on sustainable fashion and recycling your clothing within your community. 

Pre-Loved Podcast is a weekly vintage fashion interview show, with guests you’ll want to go thrifting with! For more Pre-Loved Podcast, subscribe to our Patreon!

Today’s show is with Kati, the founder of Dresscue, a rent-a-rack secondhand store in Los Angeles. Kati is originally from Finland, where the rent-a-rack concept is from – and you get to hear all about its origins on today’s show. 

Rent-a-rack basically means that  anyone can rent a rack from Dresscue and sell their preloved clothing. Sellers reserve a rack online, price their items themselves and can track their sales in real time and replenish the rack if they so choose. Dresscue provides everything you’d need for the booth: coat hangers, hang tags and security tags. 

This rent-a-rack concept is something Kat grew up with and as she knew it was a great way to recycle the clothes you don’t wear anymore whilst making some extra money.

So chat about how she decided to bring the concept to Los Angeles, and all sorts of secondhand seller advice,  so let’s just dive right in!

DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• [2:40] Kati discusses becoming concerned with the climate crisis and interested in sustainable fashion. 
• [4:40] About the rent-a-rack concept, which started in Finland in the 1980s.
• [12:05] Her surprise that the rent-a-rack concept didn’t exist in LA when she moved there, despite a great vintage fashion scene.
• [13:44] How the rent-a-rack model works at Dresscue
• [20:45] Tips to make the most money out of your consignment period.
• [29:10] Working with influencers to get the word out about your new brand.
• [32:32] Finding a like-minded community of people interested in sustainability through the store.
• [36:40] Her plans to spread the rent-a-rack concept, to make it a household concept in the US like it is in Finland.
• [38:40] Kati’s minimalistic style and sustainable approach to clothing ownership.

EPISODE MENTIONS: 

• Dresscue
• @dresscue.la
• Relove in Helsinki
• Maanantai Market in Helsinki
• Siisti Kirppis in Helsinki
• Preloved market in Adelaide 

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• 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
• 📧 Substack: https://prelovedpod.substack.com/ 
• 🎧Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/prelovedpod 

SPECIAL THANKS: 

A special thanks goes out to my Patron Insiders – your support makes Pre-Loved Podcast possible!

• Patty Weber
• Beverley Docherty of Wolfe Pack Vintage
• Danny of Galaxy Live
• Kathy Brand
• Lucero Buendia
• Mary-Elizabeth Land
• Tricia Zelazny
• Leslie V.
• Lisa of Queenie & Pearl
• Trudy