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13.09.2023
#bayernkreativPORTRAIT: The founders of the start-up RE-SHIRT developed the first temporary, reversible ink for textile printing available on the market. And they are now using it to decorate textiles that they make available to companies on a rental or purchase model: Sustainable teamwear. RE-SHIRT was recently awarded the title of "Cultural and Creative Pilots 2022". So the business model is catching on; or in other words: Re-SHIRT is a best-practice example of "young ideas (that) make a career". In our bayernkreativPORTRAIT, Emmy tells us what connects the two founders, what challenges are associated with the role of "entrepreneur", what she advises young founders who want to start their business - and why a start-up in the 21st century must necessarily be in the service of sustainability.
Dear RE-SHIRT team, your business model is based on T-shirts for rent with reversible textile prints. How exactly does this model work?
That's right! In fact, we have already expanded this business model, which was our original idea, to include two other areas. But first things first.
For example, if an event organizer wants to dress participants with a uniform message for a short period of time, we offer printed textiles on a rental basis: We print reversibly, rent out T-shirts, for example, for all stand builders at BAUMA in Munich for the set-up phase and collect them again after wearing them - sweaty and wrinkled. They are then washed and reprocessed before the garments go on tour again, printed with the next customer request. The rental model thinks of textiles as genuine circular products and is therefore an absolute novelty for the event sector. The need for communal appearance and allocation are decoupled from the need to produce new textiles!
The alternative to the rental model is our purchase model. Here, our B2B customers purchase reversible printed textiles for employees, for example. For a specific moment, they receive a specifically designed print for the summer party or an anniversary. After the event, everyone can keep the item of clothing, remove the print without leaving any residue with a standard household wash and then enjoy a good textile for a long time to come. The idea of the cycle is expressed in a slightly different way here: the textile remains in the cycle for longer - but with one user.
As an additional extension, this summer we are launching "Magic Ink" for sale as a license model. This will initially focus on geographically more distant markets, whose coverage with printed textiles, especially in the rental model, could have a negative impact on the ecological footprint for logistical reasons.
With the three offer scenarios, we reach different customer groups that are specifically addressed: Agencies and service providers are expanding their portfolio with RE-SHIRT to include an honestly sustainable and brand-new alternative that contributes to the calculable improvement of the ecological footprint. With RE-SHIRTs, team leaders in companies or public institutions receive an innovative offer instead of normal printed T-shirts, save money from the second occasion and contribute to their company's sustainability goals. In short: sustainability and marketing goals become compatible.
We are already familiar with circular economy models for reusable coffee-to-go cups, for example. How did you come up with the idea of developing a similar model for T-shirts?
Co-founder Anna Hadzelek started looking into the used clothing industry early on, at the end of her studies. Further analysis revealed that of the truly excessive quantities of clothing that are sorted every day in Germany alone, a good 10% are printed textiles. A second look shows: Exactly these textiles are still in almost new condition! What could be the reason for this? Perhaps the printing? Based on these observations, we asked ourselves the question: What if textiles could be printed again?
Inspired and triggered by the fortunately advancing initiatives in the area of the circular economy, we then thought ahead and launched the rental model. With the rental model, we create both financial and physical relief for our customers: For example, if companies keep their own shirts in stock and have them printed by us again and again, they save money from the second order onwards because there are no acquisition costs for the textile.
The wearer's conscience is eased because there is no accumulation of old items in their wardrobe. We've all been there: the printed shirt from the last event - too new to dispose of, too ugly to wear (even at night) and unfortunately you don't need a whole collection for the potential renovation of your own home.
What professional background do you both have? What motivated you to found RE-SHIRT?
Behind RE-SHIRT are two founders with experience in the fashion industry, but also in journalism and strategic consulting in the areas of brand building and marketing. What unites us is the desire to invent, to found, to try things out and to be courageous.
We, Anna Hadzelek and Emmy Schumacher, have known each other for about 10 years and worked together for almost half of that time in a Munich fashion start-up. After our paths subsequently took us in different directions, we have been working together again on the idea of RE-SHIRT since fall 2021, founded it in January 2022 and have been on the road to growth ever since thanks to great feedback and great funding.
Founding a start-up is a big step. You have already been nominated for several sustainability awards, have been able to award T-shirts for some major events and have also received the "Cultural and Creative Pilots" award in 2022. These successes certainly give you confidence. What are your plans for the future with RE-SHIRT?
That's right! It's a big step, but also one that's a lot of fun. In addition to our professional challenges and work on the product and service, we see ourselves primarily as entrepreneurs. The challenges associated with this role are new to us in many areas and require us to make decisions every day and show a high degree of flexibility. This "jump-and-run game" is just right for us.
We are very happy about the awards, but above all because they give us more visibility and help us to publicize the idea of RE-SHIRT, the circular economy, with all its convenience and benefits. Only with rapid economic growth can we achieve the greatest possible leverage for saving water and reducing textile waste - together, these two are the core of our purpose, which led us to found the company and drives us every day.
In line with this, we have a clear goal: we want to replace all single-use textile products with RE-SHIRT offers and reversible printing. If this works, we will probably be the market leader in this niche!
With your company, you have tackled the important issue of sustainability with a creative idea. What advice would you give to people who also want to put an entrepreneurial idea into practice?
Just do it, start immediately, only give room to the "ifs and buts" and worry lines in a few moments. We are convinced that a start-up in the 21st century must be at the service of sustainability - not with a sole focus on ecology, but clearly positioned overall.
At the same time, we believe that sustainability should not be an end in itself; in the times in which we live, it is much more a matter of course. We therefore recommend talking about the idea and the resulting opportunities as early as possible, as much as possible and, above all, with good people in order to find out whether young ideas can really make a career.
The Bavarian cultural and creative industries are vital, cooperative, polyphonic and relevant to the future. We introduce you to Bavarian players. What is their business model? What drives them?
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