INTERVIEW #28 POPSWAP
Based in: Stockholm
Founded in: Launched August 2020
Founded by: Lin Kowalska
Shop at/ship to: Worldwide, on the App Store and Google Play globally
Price range: Popswap is free, no fees or in app charges
Website:
Why we love them: Popswap is the perfect way of updating your closet without buying anything new nor spending money AND you might get new friends on the way too. Win win if you’re asking us.
Why did you start Popswap?
My friends and I have a great interest in fashion, but we are also aware that the fashion industry has a great negative environmental impact. As a result, we sometimes refrained from buying anything new that we really wanted. So Popswap started with the idea that if we could all see what we have at home in the closet, we could inspire each other, share looks and styles and then swap clothes with each other and keep the closet updated that way instead. Both more sustainable and much cheaper.
That's how the idea for Popswap - a community for fashion lovers - was born. Popswap users keep their wardrobe updated in a sustainable and economical way - with a style guarantee. With familiar features from Tinder and Instagram, they create their own fashion circles and style twins to be inspired by and swap clothes, bags or shoes with. A garment in Popswap is therefore not just a garment. It's part of the style that comes with previous users' looks and uses. This is what motivates the swaps and what enables Popswap to contribute to a world where fashion is circular.
“A garment in Popswap is therefore not just a garment. It’s part of the style that comes with previous users’ looks and uses.”
How does Popswap work?
The user creates a profile and uploads inspiring looks on the clothes, bags, shoes and accessories she can think of swapping. Then you swipe, as on Tinder, and be inspired by unique looks, styles and garments. You follow the users you like and thus build your personal circle of fashion friends and style twins. When you have matched with one of these, or any of the other users, and are to swap, you decide in the app whether to meet or send the garments to each other, depending on what suits you best.
It is also possible to digitise your entire wardrobe to keep track of what you have and use. This private closet is only accessible to oneself. When you want to swap something, you move the look out with the garment in the public wardrobe and make it available to your stye twins, circle of friends or everyone.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
The common thread for me as an entrepreneur has always been to make it easier for people to gather around what they are passionate about, and Popswap is a new way to live out their interest in fashion. The community is my inspiration. Everything Popswap does is about our community. We know that people get energy from each other and believe in the good in getting in touch, sharing and boosting each other. From the beginning, we have worked very closely with the users and developed Popswap according to their feedback, wishes and behavior. We are proud that we have a close relationship with them, partly through user interviews and external feedback groups but also through data. We build Popswap together with our users with the ambition that Popswap will be the world's best app and community for sustainable fashion.
“We know that people get energy from each other and believe in the good in getting in touch, sharing and boosting each other. From the beginning, we have worked very closely with the users and developed Popswap according to their feedback, wishes and behavior.”
What have been/and are the major challenges?
I got the idea for Popswap just as Covid hit, which makes it difficult to say if the pandemic was the major challenge. The pandemic has of course meant a lot of challenges, especially for those (like us) looking for investment at the time. But, the pandemic also made the fashion industry more aware about the need for new income streams not related to newly produced clothes, which I also believe has been good for new businesses and start ups that offers new solutions to keeping your wardrobe updated - solutions like Popswap.
What has been the largest gain?
The largest gain has without doubt been having such close contact with the users, building and developing Popswap with and for them. Also, having an amazing full stack team. Without the users regular feedback, and an amazing team that continues to build a product tailored for them and their wants and needs, we would not have been able to grow as quick as we have.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
Awareness of the climate creates an emotional barrier for the consumer - they want a continued updated wardrobe, but at the same time live environmentally friendly. The consumer wants and needs sustainable alternatives to keep an updated wardrobe. Alternatives that are not expensive, do not require a lot of time, do not force the consumer to make major changes in their habits overnight - and do not have higher prices than mass-produced goods from fashion chains.
Since we launched Popswap in August 2020, my belief is that the industry has become more willing and open minded to collaborate and explore new potential income streams that is not solely based on selling new produced clothes. We need to find these solutions together. I think the most exciting (and important) thing happening right now is all the businesses, industries and people collaborating to become an active part of the solution.
“The consumer wants and needs sustainable alternatives to keep an updated wardrobe. Alternatives that are not expensive, do not require a lot of time, do not force the consumer to make major changes in their habits overnight - and do not have higher prices than mass-produced goods from fashion chains.”
What is your advice to consumers who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
Awareness of the climate creates an emotional barrier for many people - they want a continued updated wardrobe, but at the same time live environmentally friendly. This is the conflict that Popswap is helping to resolve. The consumer wants, and needs, sustainable options to keep their wardrobe up to date. Options that are not expensive, not time consuming and do not force them to make major changes in their habits overnight. My advice would be to try out new solutions and initiatives that help extend the life of garments already produced, Popswap is one example of such a solution.
We buy more clothes than ever, at the same time we use only 20–40% of what we own. The perfect wardrobe would consist of clothes that are used often and a lot. Popswap gives the user an awareness of what she owns and uses (and does not use), makes it possible to connect with others with the same style and allows you to share the earth's resources by letting unused clothes change wardrobe and start being used by someone else.
Any fun future happenings for Poswap that you want to share with our readers?
We will continue to focus on and invest in our community so that it grows and more people discover and love Popswap. As a tech company, we never stop developing our product, and new exciting features and designs are launched all the time. By letting users get in touch with their Style Twins, inspire with looks and then swap for a constantly updated wardrobe, Popswap strives for the vision of creating a world where fashion is circular.
Popswap gets ~ 500 new users every day, who download the app to create their own fashion circles and style twins to be inspired by and and change clothes, bags or shoes with. During the weekend alone, more than 400 style twins have matched with each other in the app, and a total of 30,000 products (clothes, bags, accessories and shoes) have changed owners.
The majority of today's users live in Sweden. In connection with the Berlin Fashion Week Popswap launch in Germany. For some time now, we have noticed a growing user base in Germany. They share Popswap's values: they are fashion-loving, environmentally conscious and early adopters that go hand in hand with what Popswap offers.
“We buy more clothes than ever, at the same time we use only 20–40% of what we own.”