Co-founders Jennifer Hyman (Jenn) and Jennifer Carter Fleiss (Jenny) met as sectionmates at Harvard Business School, where, over frequent girls nights, they became fast friends. During a trip home to New York City, Jenn watched her sister, Becky—an accessories buyer at Bloomingdales, and about as fashion-savvy a girl as there is— have a 'closet full of clothes but nothing to wear' moment. Becky had an upcoming wedding and wanted something new and stunning—Herve Leger, maybe, or Proenza—but her modest salary meant that everything high-end was out of reach. If the Beckys of this world can’t wear a designer dress, Jenn thought, what hope is there for the rest of us? Not to mention the designers themselves: If they’re not able to get their pieces into the hands of young, fashionable women, how could they build their brands and prove that there is something truly special about designer clothing?

Cut to: Cambridge, Massachusetts, several days later. Jenn told Jenny about Becky’s dilemma, and, this being business school, they started creating a company. A few business plans later (okay, more than a few), along with formative meetings with top designers and retailers, and Rent the Runway was born. It’s a community designed to fill the needs of women just like Jenn and Jenny and Becky—women who know and love high fashion, who want to look glamorous for all their nights out (or even a special night in!), who want to have fun with fashion, be educated about new brands but who don’t want to deal with all the anxiety of investing in piece after piece. Users benefit from the expertise of professional stylists and the shared wisdom of like-minded fashion-forward members. Through exclusive relationships with top designers, Rent the Runway is able to continually update its stock with the latest pieces.

And to think: it all started with that age-old complaint: I don’t have anything to wear. Now you do, and you’re going to look amazing!