Dutch fashion brand launches crowdfunding for international expansion

After fashion designer Sjaak Hullekes gave up his own fashion label, he founded the label Hul le Kes with his partner Sebastiaan Kramer over five years ago. This brand and at the same time a “social enterprise” stands for the emotional appreciation of clothing.

Now is the time to take the next step: international expansion. To achieve this, the Dutch fashion label is launching a crowdfunding campaign with a target amount of 100,000 euros.

A brand against overconsumption and for social inclusion

Hul le Kes actively campaigns against overconsumption and runs a social workshop for people with difficult access to the labor market. The company consists of five different units: In the Hul le Kes Design Studio, textile waste is collected and transformed into new collections. The Hul le Kes Manufacturing Studio is responsible for the production of all products, while the Hul le Kes Recovery Studio focuses on both textile recovery and supporting people. The latter unit merged with the social studio Studio 3 in November 2023.

The fashion label also operates its own store in Arnhem and is already represented in international markets such as the USA, Belgium, Germany and South Africa as part of its wholesale business. In the Netherlands, Hul le Kes is currently available at six retailers:innn. Over the last five years, Hullekes and Kramer have created a solid foundation for the brand and the company’s continued growth. “Now is the perfect time to move forward, strengthen our international presence and expand our impact worldwide,” write the founders on their crowdfunding page at CrowdAboutNow.

Crowdfunding to expand international sales

In order to make Hul le Kes’ vision known worldwide, capital is urgently needed. The goal is to raise at least 50,000 euros through crowdfunding in order to expand international sales. This means that the company can not only offer more people with difficult access to the labor market a protected job, but also save additional amounts of textile waste from being disposed of.

At the time of publication of this text, the amount already collected is around 46,000 euros. The maximum goal is 100,000 euros. If this goal is achieved, Hul le Kes can further expand its visibility and impact as a pioneer of sustainable fashion through increased PR activities abroad.

Investment opportunities at Hul le Kes

Those interested can invest in Hul le Kes in two ways: via a “pre-sale option” or a loan. The pre-sale option starts at an amount of 50 euros, while a loan is granted from 250 euros. The crowdfunding campaign runs until December 21, 2024.