“What if closets could be both climate solutions and income sources?”
That question sparked an idea that would grow into rax, Canada’s only peer-to-peer closet-sharing app. At the helm is Marley Alles, a founder on a mission to help women access fashion without fueling fast fashion’s environmental crisis.
rax isn’t just a rental platform, it’s a cultural and climate response. Borrowers can rent trendy pieces for 80–90% less than retail, while lenders earn money from clothes sitting in their closets. And with each rental, there’s an environmental win: less textile waste, lower carbon emissions, and reduced water use.
This isn’t just about looking good. It’s about creating a new system where fashion is smart, social, and sustainable.
“I had thousands of dollars’ worth of dresses collecting dust.”
Marley’s personal lightbulb moment came at 25. Like many women, she had a wardrobe full of statement pieces worn once, then left untouched. At the same time, social media trend cycles were moving faster than ever, pressuring people to constantly buy new outfits just to keep up.
“I realized I wasn’t alone,” she says. “Women wanted variety, but also affordability and sustainability.”
The solution was clear: build an app where people could borrow and lend outfits easily. Think Airbnb, but for clothing. That’s how rax was born.
“The first version of rax was clunky – but it taught us everything.”
Like many startup stories, Marley’s began scrappy. She had no technical background, so she used no-code tools to build the first MVP. It wasn’t perfect. Load times were slow, features broke often, and users got frustrated.
“But it did the most important thing,” Marley explains. “It validated demand.”
rax users loved the idea, but wanted better tech. So Marley listened, rebuilt the app with a new team – Mark Mastropaolo, CTO and Rohit Singh, Head of Design, and launched a fully coded version with integrated shipping, filters, and smoother rental flows. That pivot set the stage for real growth.
The lesson? Start imperfect, learn fast, and upgrade when the time is right.
“We’ve turned closets into side hustles – and social impact tools.”
rax quickly began building momentum in Canada. With smart marketing and influencer partnerships, the app trended into the top 85 shopping apps on the App Store, twice. Marley also secured $65,000 in non-dilutive funding by winning pitch competitions.
A major breakthrough came with a five-week pop-up in Toronto, where local influencers opened up their wardrobes for in-person rentals. The result? A line-up of customers, social media buzz, and proof that closet-sharing could go mainstream.
The impact goes beyond convenience. Marley points out that each rax rental cuts down textile waste by ~8%, making it a win for both users and the planet.
“We’re building the go-to brand for sustainable fashion.”
Looking ahead, the rax team has bold plans. Over the next three years, they aims to:
- Scale rax across Canada and launch in the U.S., U.K., and Australia
- Partner with major retailers to offer “rental-as-a-service” programs
- Build an engaged community of millions of users
- Quantify and report environmental savings from every rental
More than just a product, rax is becoming a platform. “We want rax to be the brand people think of when they want fashion that’s affordable, accessible, and ethical,” Marley says.
“You don’t need every advantage to create real impact.”
Marley’s journey is powered by resourcefulness. Starting without a tech cofounder, she taught herself to work with no-code tools, pitched her vision on stages, and listened deeply to early adopters. She bootstrapped until it made sense to scale.
That humility and hustle are now baked into rax’s culture, and resonate with its Gen Z and millennial user base. As the platform grows, so does its community of women who see fashion not just as self-expression, but as a tool for income, climate action, and connection.
“Fashion shouldn’t come at the cost of the planet.”
At its core, rax is about more than outfits. It’s about rethinking what ownership means. It’s about inclusivity, giving more people access to high-quality fashion. It’s about circularity, reducing waste by keeping clothes in use longer. And it’s about empowerment, turning closets into climate tools and micro-businesses.
In Marley’s words: “We’re here to help women look good, feel good, and do good, for themselves, and the planet.”
And with rax, that future is already in motion.
