A new kind of fashion revolution: one where clothes are free

‘It’s a shop without a cash register. A fashion brand where everything is free. Not because it has no value, but because the true cost — the human and environmental price — has already been paid by others.

Did you know that most clothes are worn only seven times before they’re tossed aside? Seven. That’s ridiculous. We wanted to flip the narrative: make clothes desirable again, not despite but because they’re secondhand. Because secondhand clothes come with a story, and circular fashion can be seriously stylish.'

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‘Very DIY! As a placemaker in the city I live in I try to tackle the big societal stuff in a way that actually gets people moving. I try to connect the dots. People want to do something for the environment. The will is there, but the ‘how’ is missing. Climate change sounds so massive, it’s easy to feel like your tiny effort doesn’t matter. But it does. So let’s start where it’s relatable. Like waste. Is it trash, or is it a resource?

With that question in mind, me and co-founder of Free Fashion Lot van Os, hammered together a clothes rack, put it in front of our window and wrote ‘Free Fashion’ on it. People immediately started interacting with it - holding up dresses, looking at themselves in the glass. They didn’t even know I could see them. Some even brought us clothes from home to pass on. One person left €5 in the mailbox with a thank-you note. It was really weird, in a cool way. Without instructions, people just got it.’

'Nope. I studied retail management and small business. I’m interested in systems, behavior, psychology. How you get people to act. I did an internship with Dutch couturier Addy van den Krommenacker, but unfortunately it did not make me a fashionista.

As the climate mayor of Tilburg I try to make sustainability feel less like homework and more like something people actually want to be part of. Fashion turned out to be a great gateway for that, so I dove into this branch head first.’

‘We got flooded with responses. Within weeks we had hundreds of people wanting to do the same. So we thought: why not go big? What if Free Fashion looked like a designer brand?

We bought the old interior of a Scotch & Soda store, created color palettes, styled the shop like a high-end boutique - but with one big difference: everything was free.

And people LOVED it. Big queues every day. Between shops of mainstream brands like Sissy Boy and Costes. We didn’t just play shop. We became one.’

‘Because that changes the energy. People told us: "Selling it for €3 isn’t worth the hassle." For example, when clothing belonged to a loved one who passed away, they didn’t want money -  they wanted to give it a meaningful second life.’

'You’re allowed to pick three items. That’s it. No hoarding. It’s about thoughtful choices. We’ve added tags with things like: “This pair of jeans saves 7000 litres of water”, by which we try to show the real costs of items. It sparks conversation. It’s like education without the lecture. We’re not here to guilt-trip people. We’re here to invite them in. To show that secondhand can look and feel amazing - and that there’s enough to go around.

‘We succeed when someone walks in and says: “Wait… I didn’t know that about the fashion industry.” When they leave inspired, instead of ashamed.That’s success. And the fact that we’ve created something joyful, playful, and beautiful, that also makes a difference.’

‘We break the stigma - visually. Our racks aren’t overstuffed. Everything is curated and sorted by color palette. Even H&M pieces can look luxurious when styled right.

People think secondhand means smelly and outdated. But we get a ton of items that are barely worn, some even brand new. Our store looks more premium than most fast fashion shops. It’s really all about the experience!’

‘Yes, 100%. We now have 13 mobile Free Fashion racks traveling the country. We've rescued over 45,000 clothing items. We hosted pop-up stores in Tilburg, Amstelveen and Utrecht. When we opened our store in Amstelveen on Black Friday, our tagline was: “The best deal is no new jeans.” It was not only an opening, it was a protest.

We also collaborate with local governments, schools, even shopping centres. The goal? Shift the system. Make circular fashion a new normal - not a niche.’

‘They are all volunteers. Over 300 of them. Can you believe that? Every time we thought we didn’t have enough hands, it only took one call in our WhatsApp-group for people to come over. During one opening, we needed volunteers from 8AM to 8PM, two weeks in a row. Within days, the schedule was full. That tells you something: people want to do good. They just need a way in.’

‘Waste doesn’t exist. That’s not just a cute phrase, it’s how I was raised. Even during my internships, I couldn’t stand seeing all the paper being thrown away. I reused every sheet.

We’ve lost touch with the value of things, because we live in a world of too much. But we can change that. Starting with your own closet.’