Can’t afford a £4k handbag? Just rent it!

FOR most women, the idea of swanning into the office or a bar carrying a £4,000 designer handbag is the stuff of dreams.

But a new company claims to open up the designer wardrobe beloved by the one per cent to the everyday woman for a fraction of the cost – by letting them rent handbags.

Uncloset lets members pay a monthly subscription to access a range of bags from brands including Prada, Mulberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

The £149 fee gives members access to 80 per cent of the luxury handbags on the site, which would cost up to £4,000 when new.

To get their hands on the most sought after bags, customers pay an extra premium of £19 to £39 a month. The first bag arrives within 24 hours of signing up, and customers can use it as their own.

Once people get bored with their Chanel or Prada they simply send it back and swap it for a new one from the likes of Fendi, meaning they are always ‘on trend’.

And if the customer falls in love with a particular bag they can opt to buy it outright.

British women spend almost £1.5billion a year on handbags. A recent poll found that given the choice between a new handbag, a new pair of shoes or a new item of jewellery, more than half would go for the bag.

Uncloset co-founder Rui Rapazote said: ‘Spending thousands of pounds on a designer handbag that might be out of date within a few months is a complete impossibility for the vast majority of people but by turning luxury fashion into luxury on demand, we are making the world of high fashion accessible to more people than ever before.

‘Instead of a cheap imitation, now women can experience the real thing, but not have to worry about maxing out the cost per wear.’

However, subscribers to the service are warned that they are expected to look after the bags or face a big bill.

Normal wear and tear is accepted, but if a bag is damaged beyond repair, lost or stolen, the customer will be charged whatever it is worth.