I Tried Vivrelle for 3 Months—Here’s Why the Designer Bag Rental Service Is a Dream

Name: Bottom Line: Is a Vivrelle Membership Worth It?
Brand: Saint Laurent
Price: 45 USD

Calling all designer divas (on a budget)

By Stephanie Maida

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Published May 4, 2025

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Original photos by Stephanie Maida

As someone who works in fashion media, I drool over designer bags on the regular. But, like everyone else who wasn’t born into the Kardashian family, I don’t really have the funds to keep my closet full of them. While I own a handful of fancy purses, I had pretty much given up the idea of carrying a bag from The Row, at least anytime soon. (These days, I’d rather save up the big bucks for travel, TBH.) But then I met Vivrelle—and before I knew it, I had an Olsen-designed, $2,500 bag dangling from my arm on my way to dinner, nary a dent in my pocket.

No, Vivrelle is not the name of some notorious European purse thief involved in an Ocean’s 8-type fashion scheme. Rather, it is a New York City-based designer bag (and jewelry) rental service—although there’s no denying the fact that it feels like a steal. A favorite of influencers, editors and other fashionistas in the know, Vivrelle offers up a September issue’s worth of high-end handbags for one flat monthly fee. Having tried the service for three months (and counting), here’s why I think it’s totally worth it for luxury lovers on a budget.

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How Does Vivrelle Work?

Vivrelle is similar to other fashion rental services in that, for a monthly fee, it gives members the chance to take home designer pieces at way-below-retail prices. There are multiple membership tiers to choose from, with prices ranging from $45 a month to $309 a month, and each tier gives you slightly different levels of access to the Vivrelle closet.

The membership tiers are as follows:

Premier ($45/month): Access to jewelry worth up to $1,000, select bags, 1 item at a time
Classique ($119/month): Access to jewelry and bags worth up to $4,000, 1 item at a time
Couture ($219/month): Access to all jewelry and bags, including limited-edition pieces, 1 item at a time
Couture+ ($309/month): Access to all jewelry and bags, including limited-edition pieces, 2 items at a time

Members of other tiers can also add a Premier membership to their existing one, giving them access to one more item from that selection per month.

Once you sign up to become a member, you can browse Vivrelle’s website for items to rent, filtered by your tier. When you choose an item you want, you click ‘add to closet,’ and, like a fashion fairy godmother, Vivrelle will ship it straight to your front door in a snap (and by that I mean within two days via FedEx).

You can keep your item for at least 30 days. Once your 30 days are up, you can either choose to swap it out for something new, or, if you really love it, keep the piece through the next cycle, and so on, for as long as your heart desires. And if you discover something you actually can’t live without? Vivrelle offers members the chance to purchase their rentals at a discounted price—and, really, isn’t that music to any designer bag enthusiast’s ears?

Vivrelle Bag Rental Review: Original photo of Stephanie Maida, with designer bags

Trying to choose between all of the bag options at the Vivrelle showroom (Original photo by Stephanie Maida)

My Experience Using Vivrelle

What I Like

wide variety of designers/styles
bags arrive like new
streamlined rental process
fast and free shipping and returns

What I Don't Like

styles can be unavailable for long periods
no way to reserve ahead of time
minimum three-month membership

Vivrelle

My initial introduction to Vivrelle involved taking a trip to the company’s NYC showroom (which all members in the area have access to), and guys, this place is better than Bergdorf’s. I’m talking shelves upon shelves of Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton—you name it, it’s there, all color-coordinated and meticulously arranged. I truly felt like I had died and gone to handbag heaven. And, yes, all of the above (and much more) is available on the site for members nationwide.

I wandered around the showroom plucking haute hopefuls left and right before finally settling on this retro-looking tweed Chanel with an estimated retail value of $3,800, which I walked out carrying. Since it was an older bag, there were some signs of wear and tear, but nothing egregious. The Vivrelle staffer who checked me out also took careful note of any imperfections, which I appreciated since it meant I didn’t have to stress about the condition later.

On that note, while Vivrelle does include insurance for normal wear in your membership price, additional damage may require you to pay a deductible for repair or replacement; you can, however, pay $18 a month for an upgraded policy that will cover any costs should they arise. I’ve worn my rentals out to dinner and events but have been careful with them (so never had to pay for repairs); I wouldn’t wear one to a Paint ‘N Pour party, for example.

The Row leather bucket bag from Vivrelle, just unboxed (Original photo by Stephanie Maida)

The Row

After toting around my chic Chanel for 30 days (and getting loads of compliments on how unique it was), I returned it directly to the showroom. My next two rentals were conducted online via the Vivrelle website, which is super easy to navigate. As I mentioned, you can filter your browsing by membership tier, but also by designer, color, category and occasion. Most importantly, you can turn on a toggle for bags that are currently available. Here’s where one of the only cons of the service comes in: Since there’s no limit to how long members can rent their items, some styles can be checked out for quite a while. Also, there’s no option to reserve a style ahead of time–it’s all first come, first serve. You can ‘heart’ items to put on your wish list, and will get notified once they’re back in stock, but some of the more coveted (i.e., newer/trendier) pieces go fast.

Nevertheless, I got a serious thrill from perusing the pages of pricey purses and knowing that I had my pick of the litter. I was able to make my fashion dreams come true by securing this exceptionally luxurious leather bucket tote from The Row (which I’d urged multiple friends and colleagues to feel to believe), as well as this posh and petite little number from Saint Laurent that I’m still carrying.

Each piece arrived in a sturdy box (which needs to be signed for, FYI), wrapped and in a dustbag, both in excellent condition. If they had been rented out before I received them, I couldn’t tell. They each also came with a prepaid return shipping label, which you can simply place back on the box it came in to send back. I’ve done it once already and it was painless.

Showing off my petite Saint Laurent purse from Vivrelle (Original photo by Stephanie Maida)

Bottom Line: Is a Vivrelle Membership Worth It?

Saint Laurent

After three months of using Vivrelle at the Classique level, I can confirm that it’s a great value—especially for those who are particularly passionate about luxury bags and love experimenting with different looks (on a budget). I mean, you are getting access to multi-thousand-dollar designs for a fraction of the price. It does add up after a while, of course, and there is a three-month minimum commitment before you can cancel (though you can pause your subscription for $10 a month), so just keep that in mind.

This is still the perfect option for vacations and special occasions—times when you want your #OOTDs to really stand out on the feed—and also for the commitment-phobes among us. You know, the folks who are wary of coughing up a few grand on an accessory that they may grow bored with in a few months. (Cough, cough—I see you, fellow Geminis.)

In any case, if you, like me, have been putting off getting your hands on that one “It” bag from that one designer label you’ve been swooning over, Vivrelle can definitely help speed your style dreams along…for a price that really does feel like a fashion heist.

from $45/month at vivrelle

Stephanie Maida

Senior Commerce Editor

Oversees PureWow's coverage of sales and deals, celebrity commerce and new launches across categories
Has worked as a writer and editor for 10+ years
Studied journalism at New York University

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