RUBY JINMAN and CHARIEMA MADIH
Women in Perth are opting to rent a dress for their big night out at the same time as having their hair done, tan and make-up applied, and even having a professional photograph taken.
Owner of Burswood-based boutique Labels on Loan Merinda Dimattina started her dress
Merinda Dimattina in front of her gowns
hire business from her Canning Vale home three years ago and has since expanded to a larger space where she also offers hair and makeup services.
A hairdresser by trade, Ms Dimattina said she combined this with her love for fashion to create the business.
“I’ve been hairdressing since I was 15,” she said.
“Obviously I love fashion, so I just thought I could combine the two and I then just employed three makeup artists as well – it just seemed a no brainer to do it.”
Ms Dimattina said Labels on Loan was busy year round with women and girls coming to get ready for school balls to charity balls, adding the size range she offers is a point of difference to other dress hire companies.
“It’s just more of a one-stop-shop so I’ve had a lot of girls come in,” she said.
Labels on Loan boutique
“For the school balls especially, they pick up their ball dresses and they get their hair and their makeup done and then they go to the ball.
“I think what I’ve found with a lot of other dress hire places is that they do cater for very small sizes.
“I’d like to think that I’ve got a lot of 12s, 14s, 16s.”
Ms Dimattina said to pay for all three services at Labels on Loan would be cheaper than going to three separate businesses.
“So if you do hire the dress, your hair and makeup would be a bit cheaper because we usually do a bit of a package as it’s sort of the fact that you’ve done all three things,” she said.
Grace Pan and Shero offer photography with their packages.
Labels on Loan charges $250 for a dress hire, hair and makeup package.
Similarly, owner of an East Perth boutique named Shero, Grace Pan, started her dress rental business five years ago and introduced makeup, hair and photography two years ago.
She said her business had definitely benefited from the decision, and that offering all services at one location made it easier and cheaper for customers.
Ms Pan said Shero catered for people of many cultural backgrounds who could not find traditional dresses in Australia.
She said Shero had special designs such as traditional, Eastern, Asian for rent as some cultures needed more than two dresses.
Circles of Subiaco hairstylist Jeanette Robinson
The cheapest package Shero offers is $1880 but the service is customised to the individual’s budget, and offers simple makeup at $100 for school ball goers.
Circles of Subiaco has offered hairdressing and makeup services for 30 years but is yet to incorporate fashion into their business
Circles of Subiaco Principal stylist Jeanette Robinson said clients like that both hair and makeup services are offered at the salon.
“Clients love it,” she said.
“A lot of the time they bring their dresses here, get ready and just go straight off.”
Ms Robinson said if Circles of Subiaco was to add dress hire to its service
Wall art in Circles of Subiaco’s salon
s it would be successful because most customers coming to get their hair styled also get their makeup done too.
“I think it would be a fantastic idea, a one-stop-shop to get ready,” she said.
“You’d need another complete person to look after that.”
Circles of Subiaco offers hair styling from $110 and makeup services from $95.
Curtin University Fashion lecturer Kelsey Giambazi said designers were always looking to add value to their services.
Kelsey Giambazi
“Feeling like you’ve been treated [nicely] from head to toe is a wonderful thing and I think a lot of consumers out there will absolutely go for it,” Mrs Giambazi said.
“Designers are always looking to build relationships with their customers.
“They’re looking to build loyalty, so if they can keep their customer in their sphere for longer and have them come into their store for that entire experience, that’s better for the customer.”