So you have that special event to attend, but choose to splurge on rent instead of a new designer dress.  What are your options?  Well, you could go to Rent the Runway, a new online site that rents high-end dresses at a fraction of the cost of retail.  Do I have your attention now?

Their selection range from Diane Von Furstenberg, Proenza Schouler, Badgley Mischka, Giambattista Valli, to Herve Leger, and the rentals will cost between $50 to $200.  They are shipped to your home, and returned in a pre-paid envelope.  The dress is essentially yours for four nights, but don’t take that too literally because it could cost you.  Handle the merchandise with care because if you destroy it, congratulations, you’ve bought it. 

It sounds simple enough, if you don’t count the waitlist of 20,000 women who’ve already signed up for the service.  The concept is definitely recession friendly; Rent the Runway has the ability to capture the market of women who merely want to borrow instead of own. 

A Netflix Model for Haute Couture [NYT/Tech]