Founded by Ceejay Ndlovu and Lebi Barfour-Osei, R’Frique is a fashion rental platform dedicated to giving customers access to African luxury fashion without the need to purchase. In addition to offering people fashion without the high cost of ownership, renting (instead of buying) clothes helps reduce waste and supports a more responsible, circular fashion industry. “We give you access to rent a curated selection of high-end designs from some of the African continent’s most talented designers… Our platform is designed for those who value style, quality, and conscious consumption”.

We reached out to the founders of R’Frique via email for more details about their premium fashion rental platform:

 

Can you share a brief overview of R’Frique and what sets it apart?

We built R’Frique as an online fashion rental platform to showcase the incredible craftsmanship of African fashion designers, and to give our customers the best Africa has to offer, in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Unlike most fashion rental platforms, we set ourselves apart by focusing primarily on homegrown African fashion, that has been considered and created with intention.

What is R’Frique’s core mission, and how does it shape your approach?

To grow awareness and access of African fashion while encouraging the reduction of over-consumption by discouraging single use purchases and supporting slow fashion.

How do you curate your collection?

We curated our collection by doing a lot of research on designers across the continent who are intentional about the way they make their garments, selecting garments that celebrate the African woman’s body and allow women to celebrate their “Africanness” in whatever form they believe is best.

When selecting a brand or garment we make sure they tick the following boxes;

• Is it made in Africa or by an African?
• Does the brand subscribe to slow fashion?
• The quality and craftsmanship of the brand/garments?
• Types of material being used for the garments (if they are locally sourced or not)?
• Are any traditional African techniques used in creating these garments?

 

Does R’Frique offer sizing guides, and is it size inclusive?

All our garments are made to order, which means when sourcing and consulting the brands we have the opportunity to make sure the garments are built for the African body, in its many varying shapes and sizes. Another BIG help is that these garments are made by Africans, so they understand and encounter diverse bodies all the time. We work hard to be inclusive in our sizing and offer a wide range of sizes from XS to XL (UK4 – UK22). Not all the garments are offered in each size but for each garment we try to have at least two available sizes.

How do you ensure the making of the clothing is low impact?

We source from brands that adhere to sustainable practices. We also endeavour to get the garments ship in one go. One of our founders, Lebi, is based in West Africa and manages collections directly from the designers in person when she can.

Can you explain the type of rental model you offer?

We offer a standard four-day rental on the garments to keep our garments in rotation as long as possible. Once they have been worn a number of times, we take them out of rotation while they are still in great condition and put them on sale at a fraction of the cost price.

 

What factors influence your pricing?

The actual cost of the garment, dry cleaning, potential tears and snags, and packaging and delivery costs influence our pricing. We created a model that puts each dress into a category based on the cost of the dress, then each dress is set to breakeven after a number of rentals.

Does renting clothing truly have a positive environmental impact?

We truly believe in renting and the positive environmental impact. In today’s world of “haul” and “If I took a picture in it I can’t wear it again” culture we desperately need to change the belief that more is more. The impacts of overconsumption are completely devastating and R’Frique is doing its part in making sure that the “thrill” of wearing something new and looking and feeling incredible isn’t taken away but done in a way that doesn’t have to have such adverse effects on the environment. Here’s how we believe R’Frique contributes to sustainability as a whole:

Reduces overproduction and waste: Clothing rental encourages slower, circular consumption by extending the lifespan of each garment and reducing the need for constant new production.

Encourages conscious consumption: Rental systems shift the mindset from “own more” to “experience more with less.” Instead of owning many outfits you rarely wear, you can access high-quality garments only when you need them — reducing impulse purchases and wardrobe clutter.

Encourages high-quality design: Because rental items need to survive many wears, they’re often made from durable, timeless materials, shifting away from disposable trends toward long-lasting style. When done right, renting with R’Frique especially in our context of African fashion not only preserves our culture and style, but also builds a more ethical, mindful, and sustainable industry.

 

What clothing items are rented most often instead of purchased?

Occasion wear and statement pieces as they usually have one-time-use.

What measures do you take to ensure proper hygiene and garment care?

We have specific care instructions for each piece. After every rental, each garment is sent for cleaning with professional cleaners. So, before rental every garment will be clean and steamed.

What challenges do you face, and how do you navigate them?

As a startup financial constraints play a big role, especially when playing in the luxury space which carries high financial implications. We have to build very strict financial practices and are militant about managing costs. We are also new to the fashion industry, and we have been on a steep learning curve learning about styles, materials and care processes for different materials but also carving a path as voices in fashion. We work hard to up skill ourselves and fully immerse ourselves in the fashion industry and community at every chance we get.

 

Some argue that clothing rentals can lead to excessive consumption rather than sustainability. What is your take on this?

While clothing rental can potentially encourage overconsumption. Some people may treat rentals like fast fashion: constantly switching outfits, over-ordering, or using rentals for social media without intention — which can create new forms of waste (like excess shipping and cleaning).

However, we actively try to mitigate these risks by making sure our collections are curated and intentional instead of having endless outfit choices. We work hard to offer timeless, high-quality African designs that celebrate craftsmanship, culture, and purpose which encourages intentional renting instead of trend-chasing.

What does luxury mean to R’Frique?

To us luxury is a philosophy rooted in purpose, heritage, and empowerment. It’s not just about the cost of the garments or the “name” of the designer but rather the intentionality and care put into each garment. It’s about the stories built into every stitch, it’s about the slow and steady thought and process put in each design and production of each garment. It’s about the process to getting to the final product.

What’s one of the most surprising or unusual experiences you’ve had in the business?

To be honest, we never expected the reception we have received! The community has been so incredible, and we have exceeded our projected rentals in the first month by x485%!!! We have had brands we dreamed of working with reach out to us. All of this is quite incredible: it shows that the world feels ready to be more intentional and we feel so grateful to be able to contribute to the cause no matter how big or small.

 

• Feature image features founders Ceejay Ndlovu (left) and Olebogeng Barfour-Osei
• Brands available in order of appearance: Hertunba, Christie Brown, Mmusomaxwell, Kilentar, Adama Paris, Kilentar and Kilentar
• Images supplied 
• For more visit R’frique here