At a Senate committee hearing on the needs of small business owners last week, Jennifer Hyman figured out why her company, Rent the Runway, was invited to appear at a roundtable discussion: because Hill staffers and senators’ daughters use it. Sen. Mary Landrieu informed Hyman that her female staffers all use the clothing service, which provides designer dresses and accessories for rent at a fraction of their cost, though she added, “The men on our staff had not been familiar with your company.”
Sen. Scott Brown chimed in that some men were familiar with Rent the Runway. “I am, OK,” he said. “My daughters, they use you guys.”
“I had no idea why I had been invited,” Hyman later told Yeas & Nays, “but apparently Rent the Runway has infiltrated the Senate.” Hyman also said that D.C. is a top four market for the company, and Washington women are beginning to “experiment a little bit more” in their fashion choices.
