Former Head Buyer at COS, Bliss Staple, has filled a much needed gap in the market for a cool, stylish rental subscription for kids. The OR Collective membership puts flexibility at its heart allowing parents to rotate their wardrobe whenever they are ready.
Q. We LOVE the concept of OR Collective, can you tell us more about the Brand and how it started?
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A. OR (On Rotation) Collective is ultimately a huge wardrobe of the coolest cult baby brands that you subscribe to. For a set monthly fee (starting at £36 for 10 items) you can rent, wear and rotate the items as it suits you. Our brands are all independents, design led and also have great sustainability ethos, and when a product hits the end of its rental life we re-sell, donate or recycle into new material. The concept was born out of frustration when I had my daughter: I wanted to buy cool, independent, sustainable brands but the cost was so high – who knew babies grow 7 sizes in 2 years, not to mention season changes! Second hand was a great option, but a lot of time searching and struggling to find the items I wanted in the right size. So I figured there must be another way that can also push back against the fast fashion retailers… and now here we are, renting, wearing and rotating!!
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Q. What challenges did you face when dressing during your pregnancy and how did you overcome them?
A. I had a ‘lockdown pregnancy’ which led to bad habits! For someone that loves clothes, being pregnant and stuck working from home I didn’t invest in much except joggers and oversized tees. My wardrobe is mostly oversized so I kind of ‘made do’ but do wish I had invested in a few pieces I could look and feel good in during pregnancy.
Q. Has becoming a mum changed the way you approach fashion and the way you dress?
A. It hasn’t changed how I dress but it has definitely changed how often I have to do washing! I have a very timeless and modular wardrobe mostly in black which doesn’t bode well with snotty noses!
Q. How do you stay organised with work and family life?
A. I haven’t quite nailed this yet!
Between starting up a company and having a 2 year old life is full on - the mornings are always a mad rush so I like to ease myself into the working day and find it helpful that there is a clear boundary to stopping work at nursery pick up time, even if I need to continue work post bedtime those hours in-between are where my focus is on family.
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Q. What is the biggest misconception about Motherhood? Or something that surprised you?
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A. What surprised me is how incredible and resilient our bodies are… how in those first few weeks adrenaline kicks in when you think you can’t stay awake another minute, how your body bounces back and repairs itself it really is incredible!
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