Rental Service Offers Designer Dresses On A Budget

MAR VISTA (CBSLA.com) — Celebrities do it all the time before a red carpet event – a stylist comes in, gets them picture perfect for the occasion, and then the dress goes back. Now, a Mar Vista shop promises that same star treatment for women on a budget.

The Stylist LA rents out designer couture for women looking to get red carpet gorgeous on a budget – women like Anastasia Kapitonova and Kristina Cooke from the South Bay. The two women were looking to get dolled up for Anastasia's birthday, but can't afford to buy new outfits for just one night.

"These are designer dresses I wouldn't buy to wear one time," Kapitonova said. "It's the best of both worlds."

Working with celebrities inspired Emily McDonald to start The Stylist LA. McDonald watched them look fabulous with outfits picked just for them, worn once, then returned.

Rentals at The Stylist LA range from $30 to $85 for dresses that retail up to $1,000. While designer dress rental is nothing new online, customers of The Stylist LA get the added bonus of getting a personalized experience of being styled by a professional stylist.

Once a customer finds a dress, a file is created to keep track of what fits and the type of dress she loves to give the customer extra confidence that what they see online will look good in real life. McDonald says she knows renting a dress online isn't the easiest fit for everyone.

"They're coming here for the experience and when you do it online, you don't get that experience and then you have the added stress of 'Will it come on time? Is it the right fit for my body type?' " McDonald said. "That's the issue of ordering online versus trying on in a showroom. A lot of people need to try stuff on."

Both Kapitonova and Cooke loved all the dresses they tried on, but some were too dressy, while others were better for work attire. But their perfect dresses – Cooke rented her normally $300 pick for just $60, while Kapitonova's regularly $450 dress was rented for just $75. And when the night is over, the friends have five days to send the dresses back in a pre-paid box or envelope, or if nearby, drop them off.

"I get goosebumps when girls find the perfect dress," McDonald said. "When you wear a dress you love, you act more confident, you look more confident and you're just happier."