Rentre: Interview & Photos
I have been obsessed with Rentre ever since it’s launch in 2021. It arrived amidst lockdown’s second hand fashion explosion. Yet no one does it quite like them. Timeless, one of a kind pieces showcased through carefully curated lookbooks. Each item with its own unique history narrated on their Instagram. This is more than just a vintage fashion brand, It’s a work of art.
Tell us about Rentre and how it all started.
Selin: Rentre started when Beyeped invited me to be the fashion director in May 2020, the first summer of covid.
Beyeped: It had been boiling over for quite some time before then but I think I just needed the courage to start. Selin understood the parts I didn't, we really complete each other in that regard. I knew how I wanted Rentre to look and to feel with the creative direction, but specifically, on clothes, she translates what I think without any flaws honestly. It's been more than a year since we launched but I'm still grateful that people care about it. I hope we're speaking to people with what we do. There's still much to do.
Which decades and trends most inspire the clothing?
Selin: '60’s/'70s and a lot of ’90s with a sprinkle of 2000s.
Beyeped: Probably the 90s. It was a real cultural explosion for so much of the world. I wasn’t alive then but I can only imagine the cultural clash between mass consumption and counterculture movements. I think having those two sides of optimism and staunch realism really made the clothes designed at the time to be extremely influential.
Who are some of your favourite designers and style icons throughout history?
Selin: There are so many for me personally! In terms of designers, I’d say Vivienne Westwood or Jean Paul Gaultier by far. They were the first two designers that genuinely inspired me to build worlds within Rentre.
In terms of style icons, my inspirations change based on my mood, but three that never cease to be at the top of the list are Lou Reed, George Harrison, and Patti Smith. Lou’s jackets and belts were what made me start buying vintage, George my double denim king. I think Patti speaks for herself.
Beyeped: Polo Ralph Lauren. I think everyone at some point in their life had a Polo Ralph Lauren piece and cherished it. I think that’s really special. I really like how Jean-Paul Belmondo styled himself, minus the hats - I can't pull them off.
Favourite trends right now?
Selin: I’m really into the recent trends in interior design like odd-shaped furniture or lighting.
Beyeped: I don’t think I’ve paid any attention to trends for the past two years, I've been too busy.
Tell us a bit about the latest lookbook ‘The state of undress’
Beyeped: A State of Undress to me, was our experiment in desire and solace. Some of the times we are most vulnerable are when we’re wearing little or nothing and we spend most of those times alone. I think we're always trying to tap into that feeling of intimacy in our expression. I also wasn't sure people would want second-hand underwear, but I'm glad it worked out.
What are some of your all time favourite pieces from your collections?
Selin: There were so many.. Honestly giving items up is a big pain I have. For instance, we sold a Kansai leather bomber that had the most beautiful dragon embellishment. Thinking about it hurts my heart still. Or anything we’ve sold from If Six Was Nine. Or honestly, maybe this pair of Vivienne Westwood shorts we had for First Performance, Performing Again. They had a weird slanting belt with a cut-out. I’d never seen anything like that before and I loved it so much. Thankfully it wasn’t my size so it was easier to give up. I think Lou would’ve loved that one.
Beyeped: I love all the Number (N)ine T-shirts we’ve had our hands on. That time Virgil said 'a T-shirt is a blank canvas", I think I resonate that quote the most with vintage Number (N)ine.
The past couple of years have seen a huge surge of interest in secondhand clothing and independent fashion amongst the younger generation. Why do you feel this is?
Selin: Fashion has always been a main aspect of youth culture, to stand out and be unique is something that I really think everyone wants to achieve nowadays, and that’s really difficult to get with fast fashion. On top of this, with the pressure of our climate crisis, a lot of people re-evaluated their choices and understood the importance of buying items that we can expect to stick around for years and years rather than something that will get ruined after a wash. When going through our parents’ closets, we find items from the 80’s,90’s or even older that have stayed in perfect condition. This would be unimaginable considering the quality of items that are being produced by fast fashion brands today. So yes, I think its both a yearning for high quality, durable pieces and the mission to have a unique approach to fashion.
Beyeped: I think it's also because people are craving humanity. What is happening now within the larger side of fashion is genuinely demented; styles are created, replicated, and cremated within weeks. It is not human, it’s not well. As we are fighting the sickness, I think we are also beginning to taste the cure. The headlines are screaming that “The future is bleak, the past is glamorised and the present is fucked.” but I’m more optimistic than ever.
Through our platform we like to spread light on new, young designers that have come out of lockdown. Who are your top picks of independent designers/ brands to look out for?
Selin: R&M Leathers, Di Petsa, Ebonnymunro.. There’s so many more these are just the ones I can think from the top of my head.
Beyeped: A few have been working before the lockdown but I really enjoy the work of La Nausée, Sonia Trefilova, Ai Mei Li, Emily Lamb, Amy Llewyn and West Archive.
photography by skye matthew (@sematthew_)