Arnhem takes a stand against fast fashion: Mirte Engelhard speaks

“My name is Mirte Engelhard, born and raised in Arnhem, and now a fashion designer for 17 years. I design clothing with a story, make custom clothing, upcycle a lot, and try to work as sustainably as possible. Our shop is called Begane Grond (Ground Floor), because we care about our ground and everything that lives on it. 

Green, creative and free: these are the words that represent Arnhem, the words that I feel and live by as a creative Arnhemmer.

These words are at odds with fast fashion. Fast fashion is neither green nor sustainable, and fast fashion chains are not creative because they copy designs.

And we are only free when we are all free. The conditions under which these products are made are appalling and have nothing to do with freedom.

As a designer, I work a lot in education. I have conversations about sustainability, how creativity can help you express yourself and how it matters where you were born. I explain to them about the process of making clothes, from raw materials to waste mountains. I also like to share this story with adults in my shop.

People often know how bad fast fashion is, but the temptation of fast fashion is great.

My parents always told me how things used to be. The shoes you bought cost half a month’s salary, so you took good care of them, and if they broke, they were worth the cost of repair. Today, clothing is so cheap that repair is often more expensive than buying something new. And that’s not because of the tailor’s hourly wage.

By taking the first step to ban fast fashion advertising, Arnhem is showing that green, creative and freedom are not just words, but that we, as residents of Arnhem, also put our money where our mouth is.”