Sixuan Li and Founding the Company Rent the Runway Doesn’t Want You to Know About
A story about fashion, sustainability, and building with a new perspective.
I can count on more than one hand the number of times I’ve thought up an idea only to quickly discover it wasn’t original, and someone else had already brought it to life. The feeling is always the same: a little pang of defeat, a little disappointment — if only I had thought of it sooner.
That familiar feeling came to mind when researching the brand BNTO, a fashion rental service created by Chinese-born entrepreneur Sixuan Li Pasinetti. On the surface, it looks like another player in a field already defined by Rent the Runway, Nuuly, and Vivrelle. But the more I dug in, the more I realized Pasinetti wasn’t trying to reinvent rental — she was trying to reimagine it.
With a background in investment banking and private equity, a fashion-centric startup may not have felt like the most predictable move for Pasinetti. But her career has always straddled unexpected worlds: economics, finance, media (she once anchored for China’s CCTV Business Channel), and later, tech entrepreneurship. BNTO, launched in beta in 2024, represents the fusion of those experiences — a business that feels as data-driven as it does stylish, and as much a part of Silicon Valley as it is Gen-Z Vogue.
What Makes BNTO Different
On paper, BNTO offers what you’d expect: three-day shipping, dry cleaning, the option to purchase what you can’t bear to send back. But it distinguishes itself in a few ways:
The curation. BNTO’s selection reads like the dream closet of the “cool girl” who knows every emerging designer before you do. There are familiar names like Zadig & Voltaire, Shona Joy, and Lioness, but also harder-to-find gems like Mijeong Park, Mo Maya, and Anni Lu. It’s not just a rental platform. It’s a discovery engine.
The value. For $98 a month, members choose six items — clothing and accessories — plus they get a $20 credit each month to put toward future purchases (often at a discounted rate from BNTO’s closet). That model encourages experimentation while leaving room for commitment when something truly sticks.
But the point isn’t to sell you on BNTO. It’s to highlight how Pasinetti took an idea that already existed and asked: how could it be better?
Beyond the Closet
For every person who wrinkles their nose at the idea of renting pre-worn clothes, there’s another who wrinkles their nose at the wastefulness of fast fashion. We know the stats: billions of garments produced each year, most ending up in landfills within twelve months. Social media only accelerates the cycle — every new season comes with new “must-haves,” while last season’s Zara haul unravels in the back of the closet.
I admit, I’ve contributed to this cycle. I’ve bought into the micro-trends, only to find a piece hanging unworn years later with the tag still attached. It’s a sad, wasteful reality, but one I’m working to change.
That’s why the rental model appeals to me. It feels a bit like the days when my roommates and I shared everything: four closets for the price of one rent check. Renting is sustainable, yes, but it’s also playful. It allows for trial and error, experimentation and reinvention, without the guilt of waste or the sting of buyer’s remorse.
The Bigger Picture
BNTO isn’t about reinventing the wheel. Pasinetti did not think up a good idea only to find herself discouraged that it already existed. Actually, quite the opposite. She looked at an existing idea and saw its gaps. She recognized that Gen-Z and millennial shoppers crave both access and ownership, both novelty and sustainability. So she built a platform that merges all three — rental, resale, and retail.
In a Vogue Business interview, Pasinetti explained that rental gives people permission to be bolder, to try things they wouldn’t necessarily buy. It’s a point that resonates deeply: rental isn’t just about clothing, it’s about expanding identity.
Truly original ideas are rare. What’s more common, and perhaps more valuable, is the ability to take an existing framework and make it your own — to notice the cracks, the missed opportunities, and build something new from there. That’s where authenticity and innovation live.
Sixuan Li Pasinetti and BNTO embody that lesson. She didn’t let the existence of Rent the Runway or Nuuly discourage her. Instead, she created something that, to her and to many others, feels sharper, more interesting, and more aligned with the future of fashion.
It isn’t about being the first. It’s about paying attention, following curiosity, and reimagining what already exists in a way that feels like you. And maybe next time you think of something that’s “been done before” it becomes a source of inspiration rather than a source of defeat.
Until next time,
Kelly
Mijeong Park >>>