There was no grand plan for Yelena Collective, Cebu’s first-of-its-kind Vietnamese clothing rental.
When Pearl Lapeña returned from Vietnam with 30 dresses she had bought after, in her words, “over-shopping,” she simply wondered if Cebu girls would be willing to rent them.
Less than a year later, Yelena has grown from a small side hustle into a dress rental business with around 1,000 pieces and two premium studios.
Yelena speaks to the girls who dress up “just because,” not only for weddings, proms and other big occasions, but for the smaller moments that make up everyday girlhood: a birthday dinner, a weekend out, a date or simply a day when you feel like looking good.
For Pearl, however, the most rewarding part has little to do with the numbers.
It is hearing a client say, “Miss Pearl, I looked so beautiful today. I really felt like I looked so beautiful.” That, she says, is what makes it all worth it.
From 30 dresses to a growing community
Yelena was born almost by accident. Pearl, who is originally from Butuan City and has lived in Cebu for 12 years, had already been running Sew Local, a swimwear manufacturing business she started six years ago.
After a trip to Vietnam, she came home with 30 dresses of her own. A friend suggested she rent them out rather than leave them sitting in her closet.
That small idea became Yelena. Before launching, Pearl did her research. She knew traditional dress rentals in Cebu largely centered on gowns for proms, weddings and other formal occasions. She wondered if there was space for something different like elevated casuals, occasion dresses and more.
She started by posting the dresses online and asking if Cebu women would be interested in renting them. The response was bigger than she expected.
Nine months later, Yelena expanded to a second location. Now approaching its first anniversary this October, the rental shop has also introduced a new premium collection featuring Zimmermann pieces from Australia.
Dressing up, just because
For Pearl, part of Yelena’s appeal is tied to how women dress today.
“Things are different now because when it’s your birthday, you celebrate, have dinner with friends and all that,” she said. “This generation is different because we really want to dress up for our special days.”
Instead of buying an expensive dress that may only be worn once, women can rent one for a fraction of the price and move on to another look the next time they want to dress up.
Yelena’s collection reflects that mindset. Its pieces range from affordable dresses that start at P800 to designer pieces such as Zimmermann dresses that rent for P6,000.
Pearl said the business serves a wide range of clients, from students and working women to those in higher income brackets. Sizes also range up to 3XL, something she considers important when curating pieces.
“We have sizes up to 3XL,” she said. “So if your family comes here to rent, everyone can rent. Even your grandmother can rent.”
More than just a rental
“When I go to Vietnam and think of dresses that would go to the studio’s collection, I always feel the texture first, see the fit and consider how it would look and feel on our clients,” she said.
She also brings her clients along virtually, asking them what they want to see and which pieces they would consider renting. It would have been easier to shop online and put it in a cargo hold but as a business owner of Sew Local, Pearl knows the details are equally important.
She said some clients have rented from Yelena 16 or even 20 times, becoming what she calls her “Yelena girlies.”
For her, that loyalty comes from building trust and making the rental experience feel personal rather than transactional.
“Beyond Yelena and beyond the brand itself, it’s nice that after that, we get to know who our loyal clients are, who keep coming back and eventually we become friends,” she said.
She believes those relationships are what can keep a business going. Although there have been competitors adopting the same business model, Pearl welcomes the growing competition as it means Cebu’s dress rental scene is becoming more diverse and accessible.
The feeling behind the dress
For all the growth, new pieces and plans for more expansion, Pearl said the most fulfilling part of Yelena remains surprisingly simple.
“If they give me feedback saying, ‘Miss, I felt beautiful. I still can’t get over how I looked that day because I rented from you,’ I think that’s the most fulfilling part,” she said. “There’s nothing else.”
In just under a year, the brand has grown in ways that feel especially personal, with repeat clients and friendships becoming some of its most rewarding milestones.
Court wedding dresses are also starting to take off, with Pearl adding more simple white gown pieces to the collection. While she does not rule out eventually expanding further into bridal, her immediate focus is on opening another location to make Yelena more accessible to more Cebuano women.
Yelena’s first home was Atua Midtown, before it moved into its current, premium space at Meridian by Avenir — where a growing collection now supports a growing team, and a growing community of women.
Somewhere between Vietnam and Cebu, inside a suitcase full of dresses, a homegrown girlhood brand was born.