Since Rent the Runway popularized fashion rental in 2009, other companies have and continue to enter the category with more niche approaches to audience and aesthetic. Nuuly, which is owned by Urban Outfitters, is largely marketed towards those seeking vibrant and trendy everyday pieces. Vivrelle focuses on luxury accessories, allowing clients to borrow accessories like $7,000 Chanel flap bags for a discounted rate of $219 a month. 

Now, a new service has entered the rental villa, but it’s not trying to compete with these existing leaders — it’s looking to reinvent what it means to rent altogether. 

Bnto (named after bento boxes) is an AI-powered platform that features established and emerging global brands with pieces fit for a variety of occasions. For $98 a month, customers can select six pieces to rent from curated edits (laundry and dry cleaning included). Sixuan Li Pasinetti, the company’s founder and CEO, tells Fashionista the idea for Bnto came about after conducting research into Gen-Z behaviors.

“We learned that 40% of Gen Z already thrifts…so we see this as a precondition for everyday rental, because this generation no longer sees [pre-worn clothing] as gross. They see it as smart and flexible,” she explains. “[They] want constant newness on social media but not the fashion waste. There’s also limited closet space.”

Pasinetti also notes the existing consumer trend of buying clothing with the immediate intention of returning it — a generation-transcending issue faced by massive retailers like Nordstrom and Revolve.

“That’s like a de facto rental program,” Pasinetti says. “They’re just not making any money from it.”

What separates Bnto’s model from others is that, rather than staying within the confines of renting, it’s blending these existing behaviors — renting, buying new and returning — into one adaptive “omni-consumption” platform. So customers can avoid investing in a middle-market fashion item with no resale value if they decide they don’t like it, and don’t have to worry about traditional retailers’ 30-day return policies, and the late fees of other rental services. Specifically, if a customer loves the product they’re renting, Bnto offers the option to buy and keep pieces at a discount — sometimes even up to 75% off.

Bnto’s inventory also differs from competitors’. Rather than offering only one category, users can shop a full look, from jewelry to dresses to handbags, all with the help of AI. 

“We’re using AI not only to recommend what to buy, but also how people should get it and what price point,” Pasinetti explains. In other words, the platform can intelligently suggest items with an individual user’s preferences, including budget, in mind. “There’s a lot of smart pricing and personalization. Over the summer, you’re even going to see features that hyper-personalize based on your location and the next 30 days of weather.”

There’s also a focus on “IYKYK” brands like Collina Strada, Private Policy, Allina Liu, Marques Almeida and more independent labels.

“A lot of these brands, it’s the first time they’re on rental and they trust us as a younger platform,” says Pasinetti. “These are more wearable, young designer brands. I think it’s about bringing that experience in terms of discovering new brands and discovering new styles that make our assortment actually really different.”

To gain the trust of these small brands, Bnto typically makes wholesale purchases with them and can offer some assistance to international labels, thanks to having its own warehouse. “We’re able to help these smaller — to give an example — Scandinavian brands, with navigating this whole tariff situation,” Pasinetti explains. “We can fulfill their DTC orders and also have some of their inventory in our warehouse.

While Bnto is marketing itself in the rental service category while it gets its foot in the door, Pasinetti ultimately wants the company to be an all-encompassing shopping hub of the future.

“My background isn’t from fashion. I studied math, I worked in finance and I have consumer and media experience. Connecting all of those is where we see the opportunity lies,” says Pasinetti. “We’re backed by some of the biggest funds in Silicon Valley, and we do aim to be a big, big player on the market.”

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