Tamara Duncan, Owner of Lotus Boutique, comments, “With photos being posted to social media and event images appearing in the local magazines, nobody wants to be seen in the same dress twice. As every girl knows, if you have a couple of weddings and a formal dinner or two to attend in a month, the cost of buying a dress for each event can add up very quickly. Designer dress rental has exploded across the UK and US in recent years because it allows you to look a million dollars without any buyer’s remorse.”

With high-end names like Amanda Wakeley, Christian Siriano and Alexander Wang, which are exclusive to Lotus, the boutique is moving dress rental away from the glitzy, school formal styles most dress hire stores are known for, into the mainstream, where fashion savvy women can find the perfect outfit for any occasion, whether it’s Ladies Day at the races, a friend’s wedding or a charity ball.

Bringing together the increasingly popular concept of consumer rental with the attentive service of a bridal boutique, Lotus makes hiring a dress a special experience for each and every client. Customers can check out the range of dresses on the boutique’s website, before making an appointment, where they are greeted with a glass of bubbly and given the run of the store to try on all the dresses they like.

Tamara continues, “With the convenience of online shopping, we’ve forgotten how to enjoy one of life’s simplest pleasures – the shopping spree. We want to make going out and trying dresses on an experience again. We want girls to bring their friends, take their time and really enjoy wearing some of the biggest names in fashion.”

Having known Tamara for the past few years, I know at first hand her drive and passion when it comes to fashion, and how important customer service is to her. Lotus Boutique has been a long time in the making. From her initial concept and extensive market research to find out what us Northern Irish ladies would love to wear, Tamara has sourced stunning designs from some of the world's best designers and I am so very pleased to see a hire boutique like Lotus opening in Northern Ireland! Like many fashion conscious ladies who live in Northern Ireland I have become increasingly frustrated at the lack of high end designer boutiques in Northern Ireland, and now for the first time we have a boutique specialising in hiring some seriously stunning designer frocks!

As a fashion blogger I continually find myself attending a multitude of events and it is increasingly difficult to constantly find something new to wear (especially when you have expensive tastes like me!) So for me having the opportunity to hire high end, cutting edge designer gowns will be a revelation! I already have my eye on a stunning Amanda Wakeley and a gorgeous Alexander Wang I spied at West Coast Cooler Belfast FASHIONWEEK and I for one cannot wait to try them on for myself!

With wedding season just round the corner, now is the perfect time to pop in and pick the perfect dress. Be quick though as Lotus records what event each client attending so no-one ends up being seen in the same dress as anyone else.

Appointments can be made by visiting www.lotusboutique.co/book-online or by calling 028 9543 0010.

A massive thank you to Tamara for the press release and imagery.