Sharon Cole from After Dusk
Tell us about your new business After Dusk?
After Dusk is an online dress hire business. We have sent dresses all over the state, but our focus is right here in the Central West.
How did you come to start a dress hire business?
“I have two daughters that have both had formals and grads and the cost associated with buying the dresses is huge and they are often never worn again. My daughter actually hired her grad dress from Sydney and it I saw there was a need for something like it out this way.
Is it mostly formal dresses and evening wear that you keep in stock?
No, we have dresses for cocktail events and racewear, slightly more casual things as well. We have a whole range of dresses in different sizes in stock at the moment. Some we have several sizes of, but we are trying to keep it more individual with one-off dresses. My daughter knows what's going on fashion wise, so she has been a big help with selecting our stock.
So, you should have a dress to suit everyone?
People can ask what we have in a particular size and I can send them photos or links to the website. If people want a particular dress that we don’t have in stock, we can look around to source something for them. We’ll buy it, hire it to them and then we’ll have it in stock for the future.
How do customers go about organising cleaning and returns?
The price on our website includes all shipping and cleaning. They simply mail the dress back using a supplied postage paid satchel. There is a $75 bond, but that is refunded back to the purchaser once we get the dress back.
Do you have plans to expand into other areas like accessory hire?
We’re constantly expanding our range of dresses and accessories and millinery are that’s definitely something we will consider in the future. Somewhere along the line we will have a pop-up shop so people in Orange can see what just what we have. Keep an eye on our social media!
Find After Dusk Dress Hire on Facebook and Instagram and check out their range of dresses at www.afterdusk.com.au
