Climate change: Softbank-backed Style Theory taps growing appetite for sustainable fashion among young women in Southeast Asia

Style Theory allows its 400,000 users in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong to rent designer clothing and handbags on its platform

The fashion industry is a major contributor to pollution, producing nearly 20 per cent of global waste water and 10 per cent of carbon emissions

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Style Theory allows its 400,000 users in Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong to rent, sell, and buy designer clothing and handbags on its platform. Photo: Facebook

Published: 3:13pm, 27 Mar 2022

Style Theory is tapping into a growing appetite for sustainable clothing, or circular fashion, offering young women in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia more options for their wardrobe without having to buy new garments.

The Singaporean start-up, which has received around US$30 million from investors including Softbank Ventures Asia and Alpha JWC Ventures since its inception in 2016, allows its community of over 400,000 users in the city state, Indonesia and Hong Kong to rent, sell, and buy designer clothing and handbags on its platform.

Chris Halim and Raena Lim, the husband-and-wife duo who founded the platform, believe sustainable fashion is the future of the industry.

The idea to start their circular fashion platform grew out of a personal issue of “having nothing to wear” despite having an abundance of clothing, according to Lim, who is the chief operating officer.

“My husband Chris actually asked me one day how it was possible that I had so many clothes, but was often complaining that I had nothing to wear,” said Lim in an emailed interview.

“The environmental impact of fashion was starting to be discussed more, and together, we felt that there was something we could do to help the issue in Southeast Asia.”

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