H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB said Dec. 5 that it is collaborating with online fashion rental platform YCloset to offer a trial subscription rental in China.

The Swedish fast-fashion retailer said the project will be carried out by its innovation department, The Laboratory, and its COS label.

"Subscription rental has been on our radar for some time and we feel this is a very relevant model for us to explore," said Laura Coppen, circular and sustainable business development lead at The Laboratory. "With our learn-by-doing approach, we will test subscription rental in China and iterate on learnings as we go. This will allow us to explore customer demand, the business model, potential to scale and different sustainability factors."

The service will enable customers to purchase products at a reduced price after the rental period is over, saving the garments from early recycling and protecting virgin resources.

H&M will trial the subscription rental in China for three months.