These Flemish women were against cheap fashion chains, now they are collaborating with H&M: “Only in this way can we perhaps change the fashion world” (Antwerp)
Fashion chain H&M is joining forces with the Antwerp vintage label le freddie. It is the first time that H&M is working with a Belgian brand. The fact that it concerns a collection of second-hand clothing is another first. Le freddie is the brainchild of Els Keymeulen and Kristin Stoffels. As usual, the duo will carefully select each piece. From February 3, the collection will be available in three H&M stores in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels.
They are currently working at a hundred an hour, says Kristin Stoffels. The duo focused on Freddie six months before corona broke out. “We also work as a fashion editor for Feeling magazine. Thanks to that job, we can keep our finger on the pulse when it comes to what is going on in the fashion world. It’s a good cross-pollination. The only drawback is that we are always working,” laughs the Antwerp woman.
With le freddie, the two want to counter the overconsumption in the fashion industry. “As a tiny player, we dream of making a difference. We want to show that vintage clothing is not dusty but that – if curated – it can be just as hip, wearable, luxurious and affordable as any other fashion label.”
For le freddie, the duo always puts together a sophisticated collection that is connected to today’s fashion. “Fashion is an endless loop of trends that are always repeating. Now mainly from the 80s and 90s. So why not just wear the clothes from back then?” They have addresses all over Europe where they buy their clothes, explains Stoffels. “We select each piece by hand. We wash and repair everything we buy. Le freddie is therefore a very labour-intensive project.”
They sell their collection through their webshop and in their showroom on the Desguinlei in Antwerp. And therefore also arrive in three H&M stores in Belgium. How exactly did the international fashion chain come to le freddie? “We were created by the Belgian marketing team of HM H&M is currently very concerned with sustainability. They also want to work more on local projects. When they asked if we were interested in a collaborate, we immediately said.”
Doing better together
Whether such cooperation does not conflict with their mission to fast fashion to crush your head? “We have been asked that question several times. We see it like this: If slow brand you are in a circle of loving vintage and trying to live ecologically. We think that the fashion world can only really change if the customer of a main Streetlabel when H&M gets acquainted with vintage. It’s not an us-versus-them story. We want to see how we can do better together.”
For H&M, Stoffels and Keymeulen, together with the local H&M team, curated a collection of around 450 pieces of clothing. The cause is both the DNA of le freddie and that of H&M, with strong influences from the 70s and 80s. For example, the romantic trend with which Le Freddie has made a name for itself is fully capitalized on: lots of lace, blouses with large collars and long dresses with floral prints. In addition, there are also some designer items to click on the headline. The collection will be on the shelves from 3 February in the H&M Flagship on the Meir in Antwerp.