Oxford Stories: ‘Curtsy’ Fashion App Created By Ole Miss Student Expands To Other College Campuses

Newest Curtsy user.

A fashion app created by a former University of Mississippi student is being used by students at six different schools, and this month, the company will expand throughout the Southeast, launching at 15 more.

Every college girl can relate to the constant dilemma of wanting the most stylish dress without the cost. That’s where Curtsy helps.

Curtsy is a fashion app created by Sara Kiparizoska, a former Ole Miss Tri Delta, launched the idea last spring. With the app, girls in college towns can rent their dresses to other girls for events, such as parties, swaps, dates and game days.

The eye-catching app is easy to use. Simply upload a dress, enter the retail and rental price, and wait for magic to happen. Or, make a profile, enter your size and any other details you like, and search the limitless options to borrow for your next function.

Spill something on it? No problem. Just get it dry cleaned and return it within the allotted time.

David Oates, a fellow Curtsy coworker, attended high school with Clara Agnes Ault, one of Curtsy’s founders. Oates designs the app and oversees all growth efforts. He’s the mastermind behind the apps’ convenience.

My own curtsy Profile

Ault and Kiparizoska head the company. Curtsy has one employee, one part-time videographer, and 20 campus directors. The company was previously named Nimble, but changed its name because Nimble was commonly used.

“If you do a search for companies with the word ‘Nimble’ in the title, there are like 70,” Oates said.

Oates said users are opening the app at least once every day, if not multiple times. Future plans include having options to buy and sell dress items, linking the rented outfit to the online store to purchase for oneself, and having their blog posts directly linked to the app for easy accessibility.

Oxford has been an amazing resource for the growth of Curtsy. Oates said it has been mentioned in several publications as an “Oxford success story.”

He said Oxford and the University of Mississippi have been an amazing network for launching the idea. He said Curtsy sets an example for other Oxford students thinking about starting a company.

With expansion, comes a lot of new territory. Oates said Curtsy leaders start from scratch with every new campus they step on.

Elizabeth Arthur is one one of Curtsy’s first “It Girls.” Arthur is a fellow friend of Kiparizoska’s and a fashion extraordinaire. An “It Girl” is someone who represents Curtsy. They are interviewed, blogged about and often do fashion shoots.

Newest Curtsy user

Arthur has been with Kiparizoska, Oates and Ault from the beginning. She helped with the Beta app, gave user reviews, and was the first “It Girl” before the app switched from Nimble to Curtsy.

Arthur has loved fashion since kindergarten. “I loved trying on my mom’s lipstick and carrying around her purses,” she said.

The constant desire to always look the best at a function, while balancing her allowance between school and food, led her to help Curtsy become successful. She said being able to borrow one of the cutest dresses for a fraction of the price is a huge draw.

Arthur said she can’t wait to see what happens with Curtsy, and she is honored to know she was part of the process.

Rowan Ryan can be reached at rmryan@go.olemiss.edu. Read more stories like this on Oxford Stories.