By Kezia Rice, Journalist

Owning the video tape of your favourite film and the deluxe edition of your favourite album used to be non-negotiable. Now, one subscription to a streaming platform will give you access to your go-to comfort film and thousands more – and it’s enough for many to stream your most-loved music on Spotify, then share which album made the top of the list of your Spotify Wrapped. As for fashion, owning the latest It bag might still be cool, but what’s even cooler is the eco-kudos that comes from renting it.

Welcome to the era of subscriptions. With subscription-based business models growing by 435% since 2015, it’s clear that in 2025, access over ownership is the new normal.

Why is access on the rise?

For the majority of young people, the possibility of owning their own home is a pipe dream; without the ambition of ownership dominating their future plans, the concept of owning anything has lost the glow it once had. Meanwhile, keeping up with ever-changing micro trends requires a fluctuating wardrobe. And while social media requires constant new content, no one knows or cares whether the clothes you’re wearing actually live in your wardrobe. It’s enough to show off the hottest new thing via TikTok or Instagram, then return or resell it by the time the next trend rolls around.

Access and circularity go hand in hand

Let’s start with the obvious crossover between access and circularity: fashion rental, which is projected to reach $2.33 billion by 2030. From luxury evening wear to high-end accessories to elevated everyday, rental brands now meet every niche. Some companies operate on a monthly subscription model. Others are peer-to-peer, with users renting items from other users, replicating the feeling of borrowing clothes from your most fashionable friend’s wardrobe.

Aside from official fashion subscriptions, the rise of resale platforms has also impacted our relationship to owning clothes. 27% of consumers resold their clothes in 2024, while 42% of Gen Z and millennials traded in their clothes in exchange for shopping credit via a brand’s take-back scheme. In this way, owning an item for a few months before reselling it or returning it to the brand has become its own subscription model. By making back some of the cost of purchase, consumers essentially pay a small fee to own an item for a few months before passing it on.

Will the access economy impact ultra-fast fashion?

Although access and circularity are a perfect match, fast fashion also benefits from the access economy. Some brands are able to replicate celebrity looks as quickly as 24 hours after they’re seen on the red carpet – and buying cheaper ultra-fast fashion is a way for consumers to take part in these trending moments despite the growing cost of living.

But, as tariffs disrupt global trade systems, fast fashion imported from countries such as China may no longer be the more affordable option it once was. Meanwhile, the growth of peer-to-peer resale and take-back schemes has placed new emphasis on clothing’s “resale value”. This refers to the amount of money you’ll earn back when reselling an item – and for some ultra-fast fashion brands, you won’t get more than a couple of bucks. With 47% of consumers saying resale value was an important factor when they buy new clothes, more of us are realising that it’s worth investing in higher quality pieces so you can make your money back via resale.

How to adapt to the access economy

By setting up a brand-owned resale platform complete with a trade-in scheme, brands can capitalise on consumers’ desire for access rather than ownership. As for fashion lovers, remember the fun of borrowing clothes from your sibling’s wardrobe? Apply that attitude to your clothing consumption, focusing on rental, resale, or in-person swaps so clothes stay out of landfill even if they’re no longer yours. Creating a circular fashion system means realising that the items that you hang in your wardrobe don’t have to stay there forever.