Kim from Kimgoesoeko.com, picture and copyright by Cherie Birkner
Kimgoesoeko
After leaving the corporate world, Kim is now pursuing a more meaningful path by blogging at Kimgoesoeko.com about sustainable fashion and is also part of VinoKilo, which organizes vintage kilo sale events.
Economics and power
Flashback to 2015. Kim is studying Economics in Germany. She is doing a dual study program, which means she is also working for a well-known corporation. We could describe her as a young professional with the outlook of a classic career of climbing up the corporate leader. But that would not describe her properly and labels are too often one-dimensional.
At that time she is also taking a course on Capitalism, Power and Globalization. It will turn out as the most interesting course she had taken, because it raised the question of: Is fashion capitalistic?
Her answer is a clear yes. So what to do as a single person? Boycott fashion, of course.
Meaning and impact
It is 2017 and Kim is now in Sweden studying Leadership for sustainability. She blogs about sustainable fashion and is the Head of Sustainability of VinoKilo.
It turned out that boycotting fashion was possible. Kim did a self-experiment with the goal to not buy any new, fast fashion clothes for a whole year. The awareness of her own actions and the active choice to now only support slow fashion helped her making an impact.
I have decided to not buy clothes from the capitalistic industry. Not only because it is capitalistic in its nature, also because it does not consider our future. Resource scarcity is an important topic, yet not being considered enough by most of the big players. Only maintaining profits does not support or people or the planet. This concept does not align with doing business sustainably.
VinoKilo
So it might not be surprising that Kim is also involved in a start-up that sells vintage clothes. However, VinoKilo is not doing it in classical stores. Instead they have pop-up events in Germany, the Netherlands and even Sweden, where items are sold on a kilo price. The events have a relaxed vibe, because the racks are refilled all the time. New items are brought in all the time and waiting for the perfect piece can be enjoyed with a glass of wine, hence, the name.
Kim at an VinoKilo event, picture and copyright by Isabel Hayn
Sustainability made easy and fun
Kim’s motivation is to show other people how easy it is to be sustainable. And she is showing every day how easy and fun it can be. She believes that vintage clothes, or second hand clothes, have a story to tell. Most of her items she is wearing or which are sold at VinoKilo are unique and of higher quality compared to the mass products we can find in the fast fashion stores today. Slow fashion provides an sustainable alternative and comes at lower environmental and social costs. (The documentation The True Cost shows who is paying the price of fast fashion.)
And if you do not believe that wearing old clothes can be fashionable, check out her stylish Instagram channel.
Kim blogs at kimgoesoeko.com.
Do you buy second-hand?