NEVA Lindner lives in a closet - which, for an attractive young New Yorker, is not unheard of. Except that Lindner's closet is spread out over hundreds of square feet, extends into her living room and includes more than 2,500 pieces of clothing. No joke: Her closet has closets.
But where your garden variety Carrie Bradshaw fashion striver reserves pride of place for the Christian Louboutin peep-toes she got on eBay, Lindner would be hard-pressed to pick from among her array of last season's Stella McCartneys, Lanvins and Jimmy Choos. Nevertheless, we pressed.
"I wear a lot of Rick Owens," says Lindner, 31. And she can, because she's the founder of Wardrobe NYC, an outfit - ha! - that rents designer and couture fashion to socialites, movie stars and stylists at 15 percent of retail cost. Open just one year, Lindner already has a list of 40 designers, 300-plus clients and even an L.A. outpost which she visits weekly.
Wardrobe's wardrobe includes evening gowns, dresses, coats, tops, bags, shoes - even an antique Japanese robe. Rates for dresses run from $400 to $1,000 - meaning if you wanted to wear a $5,000 magenta Carolina Herrera to your daughter's wedding, you'd pay just $750. "It's mostly a high-end clientele," Lindner explains.