Rent, slay, return: The fashion cycle Gen Z is getting into
‘One piece of clothing — rent it out. Make sure you return it well so that other people could use it.’
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‘One piece of clothing — rent it out. Make sure you return it well so that other people could use it.’
Black sheer mesh long-sleeve body suit feauturing a high mock neckline.
KAI Montinola wearing a sparkling silver mirrored-sequin mini dress with fluffy faux fur shrug and matching silver boots.
A sleek white sleeveless bodysuit paired with a high-slit sequin skirt by La Oriental.
If you’re scrolling through your TikTok FYP, Instagram feed or Facebook timeline, there’s a good chance your next viral OOTD might be rented — and La Oriental gets exactly why.
For Gen Z and celebrity-approved rental entrepreneur Kyle Je-Anne Lo, fashion has never been just about wearing something pretty. It’s about the feeling that comes with the fit — the confidence, the transformation and that little main-character rush when you finally see yourself in a look that feels like it was made for you.
Long before La Oriental became known for its curated selection of rental pieces and celebrity pulls, Lo was already immersed in fashion.
She started selling clothes while still young, eventually discovering a business model that felt both practical and exciting: renting fashion.
Today, La Oriental has become part of a growing shift in how people consume fashion. Instead of buying an expensive dress for a single occasion and leaving it untouched in the closet afterward, more young consumers are choosing to rent, wear, return and move on to the next look.
Increasingly, renting is no longer seen as a compromise. It is becoming part of the fashion experience itself.
For Lo, the idea came from a simple realization: not everyone wants — or needs — to own every outfit they wear.
“It’s like, you don’t have to be super expensive to look pretty,” she said.
That philosophy has helped La Oriental attract customers looking for pieces for graduations, weddings, date nights, parties, proms and other occasions where making an entrance is part of the fun.
But perhaps one of the clearest signs of La Oriental’s growing influence is the roster of personalities who have worn its pieces.
The brand has worked with celebrities and personalities including Janeena Chan, Mikee Quintos, Kai Montinola, Belle Mariano and Kyline Alcantara, with stylists often pulling pieces for shoots and appearances.
For Lo, the celebrity connection is not necessarily about personally knowing every star. Instead, it comes down to the clothes.
“It’s really the stylists. They’re the ones who recommend you,” she explained.
And that distinction is important. In an industry where access can sometimes feel like everything, Lo believes the pieces themselves should be able to speak.
A strong silhouette gets noticed. A memorable color gets photographed. A dress that looks good on camera gets pulled again.
La Oriental’s growing presence among celebrities also mirrors how fashion discovery has changed. A celebrity wears a piece, the image lands on Instagram or TikTok, and suddenly someone scrolling through her phone is thinking: I want that.
Social media has effectively turned celebrity dressing into a form of fashion inspiration — and rental platforms like La Oriental make those looks feel more attainable.
Lo has also deliberately looked beyond the Philippines, sourcing pieces from Asian designers, particularly from markets such as Vietnam and China.
Lo has noticed that clients today are increasingly willing to experiment with designers, silhouettes and colors they might not have considered before. Social media has played a major role in that evolution, as Filipinos are now “adventurous.”
Before TikTok and Reels, fashion inspiration moved more slowly. Now, trends can travel across borders overnight.
One day it is pastel. The next, it is a bold red. Then come sequins, sculptural silhouettes or another aesthetic that suddenly dominates everyone’s feed.
La Oriental has learned to move with that rhythm.
“You need to have storytelling,” Lo said of building a fashion business today.
Renting is having a moment
There is also a larger cultural shift happening around fashion rental.
For years, the idea of wearing something previously rented carried an unnecessary stigma. Some people associated rental clothing with pieces that were poorly maintained or simply not fresh.
Lo wants to change that perception.
One of the biggest misconceptions she encounters, she said, is that rented clothes are dirty.
But rental does not mean unclean.
La Oriental follows a process of cleaning, laundry and dry cleaning between uses, while customers are also expected to take care of the pieces during their rental period. White dresses, for example, come with strict guidelines because maintaining the condition of the clothing is essential to keeping the rental cycle going.
“One piece of clothing — rent it out. Make sure you return it well so that other people could use it,” she said.
It is a surprisingly modern approach to dressing up: less ownership, more access.
And in an economy where everything from hair and makeup to accessories can add up, renting can also make fashion feel a little less intimidating.
“Everything is expensive,” Lo said. “Hair is expensive. Makeup is expensive. Accessories are expensive. So, clothes are just one event.”
Instead of spending a significant amount on a dress that might only be worn once, renting allows customers to invest in the experience without necessarily investing in permanent ownership.
For a generation that has grown up documenting almost every occasion online, that flexibility matters.
Built from failure
La Oriental’s polished Instagram presence does not tell the whole story.
Before the brand existed, Lo had already experienced the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. She once built a business with her best friend, but the partnership eventually ended after a disagreement over their business arrangement.
At the time, Lo admits, it was devastating.
She had to start over — not only professionally but personally, especially because they shared the same circle of friends.
Yet the idea remained too important for her to abandon.
“I started it again because it’s my idea. I don’t want to give it away,” she said.
That decision became the foundation for La Oriental.
Now 24, Lo has been navigating business since she was a teenager. Her early experiences taught her lessons that no classroom could quite replicate: the importance of contracts, clear ownership structures and knowing when to trust yourself.
But perhaps the biggest lesson has been resilience.
“You’re gonna fall 10 times, 20 times, but you have to stand up 100 times,” she said.
And then comes the line that seems to sum up her journey best:
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
For Lo, fashion has become more than a commercial venture. It has become a driving force — something that gives her a reason to wake up, think of new ideas, watch trends and keep pushing even when the business gets difficult.
“Fashion itself is a driving force,” she said.
That passion is also why she continues to expand La Oriental beyond simply renting clothes. She is working toward a refreshed studio featuring curved lines, white, pink and pastel tones, with plans for Korean-inspired photoshoot packages.
The vision feels very La Oriental: fashion, photography and experience folded into one.
Lo still gets excited when customers message her after wearing a piece, especially when they tell her they received compliments.
“I feel so happy,” she said. “It makes my heart flutter.”
And perhaps that is why the rental model feels so personal to her.
She remembers being young and wanting clothes that made her feel more confident. Now, she wants to create that same feeling for other women.
“I want to make an impact on other people’s lives,” she said. “I want to see people smiling.”
In a fashion landscape increasingly obsessed with newness, La Oriental offers a different kind of luxury: access.
The chance to borrow the dress, make the memory, take the picture, receive the compliment — and then let someone else have her moment in it, too.
