Sebastiaan Kramer from Hul le Kes on ethical fashion and fair textiles in Arnhem

“Hello, my name is Sebastiaan Kramer. I am co-founder of the social and circular designer label Hul le Kes and curator of body-related design at Museum Arnhem. Since the 1980s, society’s understanding of the value of clothing and textiles has declined dramatically. With the advent of fast fashion, our Dutch textile and clothing factories closed down or relocated to low-wage countries. What followed was a system based on exploitation. Every day, a cotton farmer in India commits suicide because he can no longer pay his bills. Workers in clothing factories work ridiculous overtime hours for a pittance. Fast and ultra-fast fashion are drivers of modern slavery. And we here in the United Kingdom perpetuate this because a t‑shirt is sometimes cheaper than a portion of chips at McDonald’s. 

Cheap, yes, but surrounded by invisible costs and consequences for people and the environment. In Arnhem, we do things differently. At Hullekes, we make clothing from discarded textiles in our own workshop in the Broek. Our employees are skilled professionals and people who are reintegrating from mental health issues. We are building a circular economy in which care for people, materials and craftsmanship are central. Yet we and many other initiatives, from repair cafés to young designers, are being drowned out by the millions spent on marketing by fast fashion chains. On the high street, you mainly see the temptation to buy more, faster and cheaper. That is not fair competition. And it undermines the awareness that we are working so hard to achieve here in Arnhem. In my view, a ban on advertising is only the tip of the iceberg, but it is a step in the right direction. 

It shows that Arnhem is taking its social responsibility seriously and living up to its unique position as a city of fashion and sustainability. As a municipality, as fashion partners and as entrepreneurs, let’s send a signal together that things must and can be done differently. Choose the value of clothing, for people and for the future. Because if you are against slavery and exploitation, you cannot help but be against fast fashion.”