App News

Dallas couple creates app that lets you rent a dress for a day

Zimmerman is a popular name on the Celeb app.

Zimmerman

There’s always that one item of clothing we wear once and never again — whether it’s a ball gown or party costume. Now a Dallas startup has created an app to address the one-wear-only outfit: Called Celeb, it's a peer-to-peer app launched in August by a Dallas couple who want to make fashion more environmentally-friendly.

Celeb was founded by fashion marketing student Shawna and Jaden Warren; Shawna is an alumna of Baylor's apparel merchandising program, and Jaden is an attorney. Inspiration came when Shawna was in a fashion forecasting class, and one of the assignments was to predict fashion trends for 2024. She predicted rental fashions would be a big thing.

Shawna tried other similar apps such as Fashion Pass and By Rotation that allow people to recycle clothes instead of buy new, but she wasn't pleased with the user experience and wanted something that made the process simpler.

Users can upload items from their closet for other users to rent or buy. Anyone — both men and women — can make an account and upload items.

“We're like the size of a small boutique," Jaden says. "Anyone can upload an item from their closet, anyone else can rent it out, and you can meet up with someone to hand it off."

Celeb is free to join and use. They don't charge fees to create an account, list items, or use their platform. They charge a 20 percent transaction fee on rentals and sales — similar to used clothing sites like Poshmark.

There's a shipping label creation built into the app, so if someone wants it shipped, they can print the label or scan a QR code at the post office. The app also has a courier integrated, so if you're local, you can just have the clothing delivered to you like food.

Some of the designers currently featured on the app include Cult Gaia, Reformation, and Zimmermann.

The app partners with 27 Dresses & Co, a local Dallas company that rents out dresses on the app and offers styling services. According to Jaden, the average price for a dress or outfit is $400 and average rental price is $50.

The app features items that are available nationwide, from California, Florida, and New York. If people love the clothes they rent, they also have the option to buy.

“This allows anyone to wear clothes like a celebrity,” Jaden says. “We want it to be empowering and make people feel good, like celebrities often rent their pieces and then return them right after the gala they attend and they get them delivered to their doorstep. We're giving everyday people that same experience and that same empowerment.”

The app can be found for free on Apple App Store.

technology

Shopping News

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 7 zany new stores to check out

Thrifted Threads

Thrifted Threads chill vibe

With the holidays on the horizon, shopping is on the rise. This November edition of Where to Shop, CultureMap's monthly roundup of new shops, sales, and alternative shopping, has five unique new openings, ranging from fashion to skin care to sports apparel.

The roundup also includes two non-traditional entries, including a new benefits program at an area mall, and a place to get your passport — in case you're planning on shopping abroad.

Here's where to shop in Dallas for November:

Baseballism
Baseball camp that transformed into an off-field baseball clothing brand is now open at Allen Premium Outlets. The store offers baseball-themed clothing, hats, and accessories. Their collection features collaborations with several big league names, including MLB, Babe Ruth, Vin Scully and Field of Dreams. Caps and hoodies are especially popular items, such as the Junior's Silhouette for $36 or the short Sleeve Yankees hoodie for $79.

Firewheel Town Center
Garland shopping center is in the giving spirit with its latest Shop, Dine & Save program. Visitors can shop or dine at select stores, including Buckle, DSW, and Razzoo's, Ferah Tex-Med Kitchen, and receive a $25 Simon giftcard when they spend $150 or more. To get the giftcard, receipts have to be shown at the mall management office and include at least one shop and one restaurant from the same day. The special lasts through November 27.

Hill House
Originally a bedding company that launched in 2016, Hill House has extended their collection to offer home, accessories, baby & kids, bridal, and apparel. They opened a location in NorthPark Center at the end of October — their first in Texas and only their fifth store. Hill House is best known for the "Nap Dress," a flowing dress made for day or night wear. There's also a short version of the dress, such as the Scarlett Long Sleeve Mini, a plaid dress for $188. Just in time for season, they've launched holiday pajamas, featuring pajama sets, robes, and children's sets.

Glossier
Skincare, beauty, and fragrance concept just opened a 1,000 square-foot store at NorthPark Center, featuring its trademark whimsical displays that one might mistake for an art supply or paint store. They sell fragrances, scented skin creams, balms, cleansers, moisturizers, makeup, eyelash curlers, and other beauty products, a little on the pricey side, but they make the shopping experience fun with an immersive shopping experience. That stuff doesn't come for free. This is their 12 location in the U.S., joining Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, DC, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Rally House
Sports apparel chain opened a location at Rockwall Crossing Shopping Center in Rockwall, with merchandise — headwear, accessories, collectibles — dedicated to Dallas-area teams including Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and college teams like the Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Texas A&M Aggies. They also offer locally-themed apparel and accessories that celebrate Dallas destinations and landmarks, such as an Uscape Pom Mens Knit Hat with a graphic of the Dallas skyline for $30 or a long sleeve Dallas sweatshirt for $42. This is the 22nd location in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Thrifted Threads
Houston-based vintage clothing reseller just made its debut in Deep Ellum at 2646 Main St. #620, next to Vidorra. Thrifted Threads was founded by Laith Awad, who began reselling clothes in 2017, initially as an online store until he opened a location in 2022 in Houston's Montrose District when he was only 18. He opened a second store in College Station in 2023. Deep Ellum is the third. They're known vintage apparel from jerseys to sweatshirts and hats, as well as collections of color-sorted clothes from the 70s to the 2000s. It's more than a store, with arcade games that don't require coins to play, a motorcycle display, and ice cream.

Collin County Passport Office
If you're "shopping" for a passport, a passport office just reopened in the Collin County Courthouse at 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney. The new passport acceptance office will initially be appointment only, with bookings available through the District Clerk's website. Plans are underway to introduce same-day and walkup services in the near future.

openings where to shop