Crumpets with Kate + Lendperk

There is so much to tell you about what is happening here. First off, I chose the title because this dress and my nude pumps totally remind me of Kate Middleton. I felt like I should be having tea with the princess in this look... too bad I was just at a park in Santa Monica...

I should also mention where I got this amazing dress... have you heard of the company Lendperk? It's a Los Angeles based dress rental company. The premise behind the company is that you only have to pay a nominal monthly fee and you can rent an unlimited amount of dresses per month. It's a pretty cool concept, and there are only a handful of companies doing it. Star Li, the owner of the company contacted me and asked if I would like to rent one of her dresses and tell ya'll about it. I said, duh, because when else will I be able to wear this amazing BCBG dress? If you are in need of a new dress for a wedding, a party or just an interview, you should totally check out the frocks over at Lendperk!



I was so inspired by Star Li's personal story and how the company developed, and I wanted to share my interview with her, with you.

Me: Can you tell me a little more about yourself?

Star: I grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Cornell University in May 2010, worked at American Express for a year, left a year later to create a mobile app called Vidappe that I then sold a year later to a company called GreenStack. Lendperk is my next entrepreneurial project. 

Me: Where did the idea for Lendperk come from? When did you start?

Star: I began working on the idea for Lendperk in Dec. 2012. At the time, I was trying to figure out what to do next after my mobile app was acquired. I began reading reviews for other startups (AirBNB, Rent the Runway, other monthly subscription type services, etc), and the idea for Lendperk just popped into my head one night. 

Me: Will you be increasing the amount of dresses you offer? If so, how many dresses would you like to carry?

Star: Definitely. The first 39 dresses you currently see in the collection are for Lendperk's initial test run for the first 2-3 months. I'd like to figure out what women like to borrow and from that, and then figure out what kind of dresses I'll buy in the future. 

Me: Will you be expanding the brands whom you work with?

Star: Yes, I've actually established a lot of relationships with brands that are working with Modcloth, Anthropologie, ASOS, etc, so that I can carry items that those stores carry as well.

Me: How many customers do you currently have?

Star: 109 users. I "officially" launched Lendperk about two weeks ago and I'm glad to see that people seem to like the idea from the initial reviews I've been getting.

Me: Where do you see Lendpark in 5 years?

Star:I'd like to see Lendperk become a self-sustaining and profitable company. Or it may have been acquired by another company. It's hard to look that far ahead when you get started, especially when you're working on a new startup that just went to market a few weeks ago.

You can also find My Thrifty Chic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram 




Link Ups: I am pisces / The Pleated Poppy / Rolled Up Pretty / Random Wednesday / What I Wore / STYLELIXIR