Smart consumption with Agnes Fox

The enterprising Agnes grew up in a small village in Austria. She sees her sister as her role model who was an elementary school teacher. Agnes followed her path but soon realized it wasn’t her call. She used her degree as a stepping stone to become an au-pair in the US. Fast forward to ten years later, she now runs a successful business with a focus on circularity. Over eighty thousand people follow her journey through her Instagram channel. We caught up with Agnes about her take on smart consumption and her vision for a sustainable future.

Favourite denim

The idea for Mended came about when Agnes favorite denim broke down. Agnes: 'My first impulse was to contact the brand where I bought the jeans. Surprisingly, I was sent from pillar to post. I had expected them to help me with a repair, or at least point me in the right direction, but instead they could only provide me with a discount code. Then I thought to myself: that's just pointless. My pants are not being fixed and yet they are trying to push a new product on me. It just didn’t make sense- there had to be a better solution.

Children's logic

If there is one thing I have taken with me from my time as a teacher, it is the mindset of a child. The things we take for granted are the things they question. It makes you really start to see how illogical some things are. I shared my experience with my Instagram followers and they too ran into this problem. Things moved quickly after that. Within a month, the first version of Mended was live. Initially, we were a consumer platform. Last fall, we launched an improved version of Mended. Our focus shifted from consumers to brands, allowing them to submit their repair requests to us. In this way, we are reaching a much larger audience. After all, clothing repair is not always top of mind with consumers.'

“New clothing is always within reach. Many of us have simply forgotten that repair is also an option.”

No brainer

Mended is growing fast, but Agnes' dreams for the future are growing just as fast. Agnes: 'I really want to make clothing repair a new norm. Just as returns are now a standard service for everyone. My goal is to do the same with textile repair. It should become a no brainer that you can have your clothing repaired through the brand you bought it from. That way we avoid throwing clothes away unnecessarily and prevent unnecessary consumption. And ultimately: a more circular world.'

“My goal is to make garment repair a new standard; it should be a no brainer.”

'With every larger purchase you make, you can ask yourself: if this product breaks down, am I willing to fix it?

Cherish

We ask Agnes how else she is embracing “smart consumption” in her life. Agnes: ‘In recent years I have let go to many of my things. Now I really cherish the stuff I have. With every purchase I make: Will I still be happy with this in the years to come. Is this something I will cherish? The other day I heard someone say, ‘With every purchase you should ask yourself: if this product breaks down, am I willing to fix it? If the answer is 'no,' why purchase it? I often carry that thought with me.'

Agnes' favorites

The life of a start-up CEO is not always about roses. ‘ A night good sleep does wonders for me, especially during busy times. What I love about Yumeko's products is knowing I will enjoy them for years to come. Yumeko takes responsibility for the items they produce, which I (of course) highly value. My favorite item? The side sleeper. Since I got it, I honestly can't live without it anymore,” laughs Agnes.