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Fashion
Maternity clothes available for rent through new partnership
Two pioneers when it comes to sustainability and conscious consumption join forces to make it possible to rent smart, multifunctional clothes for pregnancy and nursing.
By JOHAN MAGNUSSON
25 Nov 2020

The fact that children grow out of their clothes at a fast pace is a problem that parents used to solve by buying new clothes. Five years ago, Swedish startup Hyber was founded to change old habits.

— To create a more sustainable system, we created a digital rental service that makes it possible for families with children to share children’s products, tells co-founder Olivia Rothschild. The key to sustainable consumption lies in taking care of the longevity of the products. We want to extend the product’s life by restoring them to a new condition after each use. We believe it’s the most efficient way to save the planet’s resources and reduce the environmental impact.

They now extend their service with maternity clothes, together with Boob, that started 20 years ago when Mia Seipel saw her sister breastfeed her newborn son with the wind blowing around her bare waist. 

— I thought there has to be an easier way so I went home and sewed the first prototype for what later became Boob’s patented nursing wear, she tells, continuing,

— I saw it as my mission to empower women during pregnancy and nursing by bringing them smart and sustainable clothes that make them feel brave and beautiful. What started as a patented nursing solution has turned into a full collection of essentials needed during this transition, with clothes designed to last.

Through the pioneering collaboration, a number of their most popular products will be available for rent via Hyber’s platform.

— We’ve seen the resale value of our clothes since day 1 and this gives us the opportunity to expand our circular business, says Seipel.

— We share both values and target groups and hope to establish a new consumer behavior where renting clothes becomes an alternative for expectant and new mothers, says Rothschild.

Up to this day, she tells, their members have saved more than 250 Euro each through the service, while the children have grown almost 20,000 centimeters.

— That’s taller than Sweden’s tallest building, Turning Torso.

— But, most importantly, our members have saved 850.000 kg CO₂e through renting instead of buying new. I think the numbers speak for themselves and we are growing rapidly, despite the strange times.