The networked mediation of fashion rental

Renting is an emerging practice within the field of fashion. It is promoted as both a means to access aspirational high-end garments and a way in which to consume more sustainably. As self-proclaimed newcomers to the field, rental companies must forge a new space by demonstrating both their fashionable taste and sustainable credentials. To do so, they rely on a network of mediation which requalifies rented garments as sustainable by virtue of being shared. This requalification is not just carried out by the rental company but takes place between the relational practices among both human and non-human actors. This article presents ethnographic research tracing networks of fashion rental both online and offline including rental garments, those renting and sharing images online and the algorithm which prioritizes content. Discourse analysis of digital content, qualitative interviews with rental users and autoethnographic reflection are methods used to explore how understanding of sustainable fashion practices and objects are shaped by the interactions and relations within this network of mediation.