On the website, Eskai.com, which was launched at the end of 2019, individuals and brands can display their items for rent or for sale DUBAI: Eskai — it’s not just another online shopping website; it’s an online platform for buying, selling and renting pre-owned, as well as brand new, items that offers online shoppers in Egypt the chance to own something special. “We have four services: Buying services, renting services, exchanging services and also fashion advising,” Eskai’s founder Samar Salim told Arab News. Salim, who is also a fashion influencer with a stellar 238,000 followers on Instagram, added: “When I became someone who influences people, I wanted to think about it differently. I wanted to create something to make it easier for people to consume less of the items in the fashion industry. I wanted to make a cause.” On the website, Eskai.com, which was launched at the end of 2019, individuals and brands can display their items for rent or for sale. “They fill an application online that is about the clients’ details — what the item is, the size, the brand, when was the last time it was used and the production date,” Salim explained. Once the item is sold, clients collect their money in cash form from the Eskai headquarters or through a bank transfer “if the amount exceeds 1000 Egyptian pounds (around $62).” Whether they be dresses, jeans, tops, accessories, scarves, or even wedding dresses, Eskai allows customers to rent anything for up five days or buy it outright. “People who are willing to display their items on our website fill out a form and send me the items. I pick these pieces in the office. I check every single piece, the quality, the material and the color,” Salim said. After taking photos of the items in Eskai’s studio, Salim and her team send the clothes for dry cleaning before they are displayed on the website. The hijab-wearing influencer is also motivational speaker who is known for her motivational speeches. In a Ted Talk Salim gave in Cairo in 2019, the social media star spoke about incidents she has encountered because of her hijab. “It was then that I decided to take a step forward. I decided to mix what I love (fashion) with what I wanted to change (the stereotypes),” she said.