Late last week, I received an email from Rent the Runway announcing that they are permanently closing their San Francisco flagship store.
The announcement comes at no surprise. One day at the end of March, a friend of mine DM’d me with the news: she’d spoken to the RTR team and layoffs were happening later that day. All told, 50% of the staff nationwide was laid off or furloughed, including all the retail staff on 228 Grant Avenue. The cost of the pandemic was simply too high, and for the company to stay afloat, cuts needed to be made.
To be clear: as a customer, my subscription hasn’t been affected in the least. In fact, it’s what has sustained me through the stay-at-home orders, what with all the weekend opera-at-home evenings we’ve been doing. It’s a luxury in these lean times to have a constant supply of beautiful clothes, and one that I don’t take for granted.
Here’s the thing – I know it’s cliche to say that the flagship was “more than a store,” but it really was. They had lounge spaces, coffee and tea, co-working space, even spaciously equipped hair and makeup stations, all of which thoughtfully appointed and cushy AF. It’s the type of place that has tampons in the bathroom and cubbies at the door. Velvet ottomans and succulents and giant windows and walls of handbags.
But it was more even than that.
Our Space
I went to Grant Avenue at least once a week since I started the blog. That’s nearly two years of weekly contact with the RTR team. Hundreds of conversations about career, friends, family, travel, politics, dreams. You become invested in each other, you lift each other up. You make a fuss on Instagram about how gorgeous and funny and talented they are because you know how much heart they have, how hard they work, and how truly gorgeous and funny and talented they are.
My mother always told me that in general, the most important thing for most women is to be understood – bear with me, here. I could be harassed on the street three times before making my way up the ridiculously perilous spiral stairs to the second floor at 228 Grant.
And then, all of a sudden, I’d be in Our Space.
You see, Hillary may have run for president, Kamala may be on the VP ticket, Tarana Burke may have changed the world with #MeToo, but the world has not stopped giving us the “little lady” treatment. A belittlement I find wholly ironic given that to be a woman in this world means that you have to have the cojones of a minotaur – but that is an essay of its own.
When you stepped off the landing on the second floor, you felt safe because you knew that the people around you got it. Most of the team was women – the vast majority – as were the other clients. We were all there because of fashion, some because they desperately wanted styling for a weekend wedding and others who, like me, were just fashion junkies who needed a fix.
But if you read this blog, then you know the Big Secret: Fashion is not frivolous.
And neither was Rent the Runway on 228 Grant Avenue.
It was a place where networking happened, career moves were made, friendships deepened, and the result was a general atmosphere of collaboration and support not unlike a sartorial iteration of Nonnatus House. It was ours. We were understood there. Seen not as airheads who only wanted to pout and shake our curls to get attention but as multifaceted human beings with perspectives, goals, and the will to self-express in a meaningful way.
What Made it Magic
Part of the magic, of course, was in the organizational structure. After years as a pop-up on Post Street, they set up the flagship a few blocks away on Grant. The store was designed to be a communal space, a two-story extravaganza of fashion and co-working, and they opened with no small degree of celebration. San Francisco Mayor London Breed was there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony – and so was I, quite by accident – and extolled the promise of providing women with a place to be.
Yes: the couches and free wi-fi and makeup stations and happy hours set the store up for success in community-building. But what actually made it happen, before the wi-fi and organic coffee and makeup stations, was the team.
It was clear that they loved each other’s company (they’d often spend evenings after work having drinks together, which speaks volumes) and that they genuinely wanted to be there. That camaraderie was infectious. They treated customers as friends, and for longtime customers, actually became real DTR friends. There was joy and realness and at times, vulnerability. The team was, in short, the real deal.
In Their Words: The Ladies of Rent the Runway
Before I sat down to write this post, I contacted a bunch of my RTR girls to get their scoop on the situation because obviously, they’re the ones most directly effected by the closure. Overall, everyone’s doing ok – or as “ok” as could be expected in 2020.
I wanted to hear what the closure meant to them in their own words. The store was, after all, a place of joy because of them and their hard work. What follows are the perspectives of four current and past members of the Grant Avenue team.
Sahra
“When I first started working at RTR I would have never imagined how much that place would mean to me when I said my final goodbyes. I was there for four amazing years and throughout my time there I had the chance to work with the most fabulous coworkers, as well as seeing the sweetest customers that came in and out of that store. They were the ones who sparked the magic throughout the RTR walls and the piece of RTR that I will miss the most.
I will forever cherish every memory of styling customers, doing the happy dance when you finally found the perfect outfit for your customer and how could I forget the look on your customers face when you tell them the item they wanted is available! It saddens me that it all came to a sudden end but I know our members will forever remember and cherish our SF flagship store.”
Nykol
“I was officially introduced to RTR when I was hired at their flagship store in San Francisco last summer. Working at RTR SF not only opened the door for my current career, but allotted me the opportunity to meet so many different women and build some lifelong friendships. Working on a small team meant we all got to know each other VERY well. From theme days that depicted what we would wear (Mean Girls Day- on Wednesdays we wear pink), to off site team building activities. I thoroughly enjoyed going in to work, and am so saddened to hear this location will be closing permanently. I have some of the BEST memories in that showroom. I have meant some of the BEST women (and men) in that showroom.
After leaving the RTR company to pursue my current career, I have continued to pay for my unlimited account (and I’ve added a few extra slots) because I support the brand and the people who make all the day to day operations happen. We will get through this pandemic, and when we do, I hope RTR reopens its showroom so more memories can be made.”
Monica
“I’m incredibly thankful for my time with them, most importantly, the time I had with my team and the people that I worked with daily. Jennifer Hyman [CEO] was always so supportive and kind. The pandemic has not been kind to the retail industry, especially the shared economy.
I miss my coworkers so much. As for my plan, I’m in the position where I’m shifting into interior design and home decor (eventually, I’m studying now). So although the lay off was incredibly difficult to process and took a toll on my mental health, I had to realize I wasn’t alone. We’re in a global pandemic, this is something that millions of people have been dealing with since March.
I’m thankful RTR allowed me to file for unemployment, which has helped me stay afloat the past few months with things like rent, groceries and health insurance.
I miss what I did with my team and for the company but I learned a great deal from my time there and I’m forever thankful.
Several months later, my mindset is on what’s next.”
Aida
“Our RTR West Coast flagship had a fun decal on the stairs that read ‘Live. Style. Dance. Thrive. Change. Celebrate. Discover.’ I think all of those things described our community perfectly.
At the heart of our store were people, not just average retail employees but stellar people. And at the heart of the RTR were some more amazing people – our community of strong and fabulous women. Never did I think that I could have such genuine relationships in retail. I mean we all know the type of women that make retail workers crawl into a hole. This was not what we had at our SF store. Yes, sure, we had our bad days but for the most part I loved the women of RTR SF. These are strong, fearless, stylish women. These are kind and encouraging women. These women made me feel happy and lifted me up.
I will always cherish the good memories made at 228 Grant Ave.”
I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying
The Rent the Runway flagship was such an unexpected gift, and I’m deeply saddened and moved to see it close. I actually procrastinated quite a bit with this post, and once I started writing, it became clear why. I started crying. Joy for what these women created, sadness that it’s gone, and hope that it’ll come back.
To the Rent the Runway crew – Sahra, Monica, Nykol, Aida, Monye, Sain, Brie, Beccy, Sophia, Angela, Kendyl, and the many, important people I am likely forgetting – thank you.
love,
Stig
Cover photo from Rent the Runway via RIS News
