Style Rotate, a South African fashion rental platform, has partnered with the homegrown retail brand Poetry to launch an innovative rent-or-buy collection.
Image supplied
This partnership merges Poetry’s signature timeless elegance with Style Rotate’s expertise in occasion wear rentals, providing South African women a more sustainable, stylish, and accessible way to dress for special occasions.
A shared vision for circular fashion
Research conducted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on circularity, discovered that renting special occasion clothing could cut carbon emissions by approximately 40%.
This occurs because these items are typically worn only a handful of times before they are destined for the back of a closet or, in many instances, end up in a landfill.
Tash Liesner and Cleo Marcopoulos founded Style Rotate to create a more sustainable and inclusive way for women to experience fashion. Since its launch, the company has become a circular fashion destination, providing access to designer pieces without the necessity of ownership.
“Through this collaboration, we’re advancing our mission by celebrating homegrown talent and reshaping the future of fashion consumption,” say the founders of Style Rotate.
“We’re offering our customers something truly unique—elegance combined with flexibility, whether they choose to rent or buy.”
The collection: timeless, versatile and inclusive
The debut Style Rotate x Poetry collection features 14 crafted pieces that embody effortless elegance. The project merges Poetry’s design and product development expertise with Style Rotate’s deep understanding of the rental fashion landscape.
“Most importantly, we listened to our customers,” says Style Rotate's brand director, Georgina Bennett.
“We used essential data and insights to craft a collection that reflects what they genuinely desire—flattering, functional styles, and designed to celebrate all body types.”
The collection is designed to accommodate sizes 6 to 18, with future collections planned to expand this range.
“Inclusivity was a top priority when designing this collection,” explains Bennett. “We utilised real customer insights to ensure every piece was thoughtfully created to complement various body types.”
A standout feature of the collection is its versatility pieces like the Sonnet can be styled in various ways: as a skirt, a mini dress, or a maxi dress, offering customers more styling options while minimising the impact on their wardrobes and the environment.
A sustainable future
“Sustainability is a core value at Poetry, and we focus on three essential pillars to uphold this commitment,” says Shelley Prinsloo, general manager of Poetry and the Green Thread Design Centre.
The brand prioritizes plant-based fibres, thoughtfully selecting materials with purpose.
“Using natural and organic fibres, we reduce our environmental impact, and this primary focus ensures that these materials make up over 50% of our clothing range.”
The Green Thread Design Centre employs over 400 people, which allows Poetry to maintain high ethical standards and minimize its carbon footprint by keeping production local.
“Lastly, we are registered with Sedex and ensure our products are sourced from ethically certified factories worldwide, reinforcing our commitment to global sustainability.”
A new way to experience fashion
“This collaboration is more than just a collection—it’s a movement,” says Prinsloo. “By offering a rent-or-buy model, we’re giving our customers more freedom, accessibility, and sustainability in their fashion choices.”
With at least two collections planned per year, the Style Rotate x Poetry partnership is set to redefine fashion consumption in South Africa, proving that style, sustainability, and inclusivity can go hand in hand.
