Wagga's reigning Social Queens take clothing hire business to the next level

Jess Knox and Lily Jenkins found something better than a gap in the Wagga market – they realised the market didn’t exist.

Their rental clothing side hustle Social Queen Hiring began as an Instagram account in June 2021, but has now grown into a full blown business on a scale the girls did not anticipate.

“We’re both fans of designer clothing and Social Queen started as a way for us to get more use out of our dresses and make a bit of money,” Lily said.

Almost immediately after they started hiring out their pieces the July and August lockdowns practically ground demand to a halt.

Business limped on with the occasional wedding or birthday hire, but it wasn’t until the 33rd annual Wagga Ag Races that they felt a shift.

“The races were definitely the turning point,” Lily and Jess agreed.

“Once we saw how much it was taking off, we started investing everything we made back into the business,” 21-year-old Lily explained.

Lily uses a spare room in her Boorooma home as a studio, where interested customers can try on pieces before they hire.

Jess and Lily’s premise is simple – renting clothing is not only kinder to the bank accounts of designer fans, but also to the environment.

Renting a piece, as opposed to buying one that will only be worn once, helps combat the impact of fast fashion.

Buying second-hand pieces is also another great way to make your cupboard more sustainable – and this is how Social Queen is expanding its umbrella.

Social Queen Hiring will host a market day on Sunday 19 June in the old Auxiliary Hospital Op Shop building at 42 Fitzmaurice Street.

As they explored the newly vacated building, the girl’s delighted voices echoed off the walls.

“We are so lucky that we have been loaned this space. It just makes us even more excited about the future,” Lily said.

Inspired by Sarah Kokkinos, the creator of the wildly successful Hunter Markets in Melbourne, Jess & Lily have extended an invitation to anyone in Wagga who needs to clear out their wardrobe.

However, the girls emphasised that Social Queen Markets will not be just any cheap-as-chips Sunday market.

“The idea we had was very specific. We wanted high end, high quality, preloved pieces, so come prepared for that,” Jess said.

Social Queen Hiring will have a stall to sell some of their own pieces to refresh their collection for the year ahead.

Jess, who is studying a Bachelor of Communications specialising in Public Relations, has clear goals for Social Queen’s next twelve months.

The 19-year-old plans to undertake a professional styling course with Sydney’s Australian Style Institute next year, so that she can offer the service alongside hiring outfits.

“There is absolutely nothing in Wagga like that, and we’ve seen over the last year that there is definitely demand there,” Jess said.

Lily, who is a full time hairstylist and makeup artist at The Hollow, wants to see Social Queen become accessible to all women in Wagga.

“A wide size range is one thing we didn’t see on other Wagga-based hire pages. We are trying to broaden our age demographic as well – even our mums feel comfortable wearing some of our pieces!” Lily said.

“We want to make sure that everyone, no matter what age or dress size they are, can find something that they love in our range.”

Lily expressed her surprise at how rewarding their endeavours have been.

“My favourite part of doing this is having girls come over to try on something specific and then leaving with something completely different that they never would have picked out otherwise, and a massive smile on their face,” she said.

Social Queen Hiring can be reached via their Instagram page here. Social Queen Markets takes place on 19 June from 10 am to 1 pm – find out more here.