Local Teen Entrepreneur starts dress renting business

A local teenage entrepreneur is making Hamilton more stylish one dress rental at a time. She may also be able to help you make some extra cash on dresses you no longer wear!

17-year-old Nicole Dragus says spending hundreds on dresses for formal events inspired her to create her own business.

“Dolled N Dressed” is a rental service Nicole started in May that offers high-end dresses for a fraction of the cost.

Nicole says receiving a $3000 grant from the Ontario Government’s “Summer Company” program helped her build an inventory and set-up a website.

If you were renting online you’d have to pick a date you’d want it for.

In addition to ordering online, clients can also try on the dresses at her Stoney Creek home.

After each use, the dresses are dry cleaned and put in a garment bag to keep it in pristine condition.

With 80 dresses in stock, she is hoping to expand through a program called “Adopt a Dress”

She is also accepting dress donations, in exchange for a one-week rental.

Nicole heads off to study history and political science at Queen’s University this fall, but says she will not be forgetting about her business.

She also hopes to take some of her inventory with her to university, and rent to students on campus.