As a gender-neutral brand, sharing is at the core of our ethos and we believe that it is a crucial step towards reducing overconsumption and overproduction. It is now estimated that worldwide, clothing utilisation - the average number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used - has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago. In line with this, every year more than 500 billion dollars worth is lost due to clothing underutilisation and the lack of recycling. This is where the Sharing Economy comes into play. 

According to PwC, the global sharing economy grew to $15 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach $335 billion by 2025, one of the fastest growing trends in history. Whilst we are all familiar with the peer-to-peer model across accommodation, cars, and music, what does this mean for the fashion industry? With ownership of garments becoming less of a necessity for millennials and Gen Z’s – there is an encouraging rise in rental schemes and clothes swaps, moving away from the ‘buy, wear, replace’ mindset. 

For us here at Riley Studio, sharing is the first, and perhaps the easiest step to consuming less. By designing without gender in mind, we hope to inspire you to wear what you want, expressing your own creativity through your personal style.

For our Sharing Series, we will reveal a new story each week on our Instagram offering a different perspective on this topic, hopefully encouraging more of us to share between our friends, family and loved ones. We hope you enjoy it.