Meet the Entrepreneur: Krzysztof Trzebinski
In this monthly Q&A series, we shine a spotlight on the inspiring (student) entrepreneurs who form the backbone of the IQONIC community. We present them a number of thought-provoking questions and ask them to reveal fun facts about themselves and their businesses. These stories serve as a source of inspiration for others and showcase the thriving entrepreneurial culture that IQONIC nurtures. This month we would like to introduce you to Krzysztof Trzebinski.
Q: Krzysztof, could you introduce yourself and your company?
A: My name is Krzysztof Trzebinski, I am 22 years old and come from Poland. After graduating from high school in Warsaw, I followed my heart and moved to the Netherlands to study. Last September, I graduated with the Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation Bachelor at Tilburg University and now I am halfway through my Master’s in Marketing Management, time flies. I started Thirsty Clothing with Jakub Janczak and Jan Banasiak at the end of 2021 and we went live in April 2022. Thirsty is a brand with sustainability and transparency at its core, designed for environmentally conscious people who like to stand out. We are thirsty to produce textiles made from high-quality and eco-friendly materials, providing unique and abstract designs, raising awareness through storytelling, improving people’s lives worldwide, and supply chain transparency.
Q: What/who inspired you to do business?
A: It was a combination of multiple factors. Ever since I was a little kid and after my pirate and footballer phases were over, whenever someone asked me what I could see myself doing in the future, I would answer that it did not matter as long as I was my own boss and got to work together in a team and create value for others. I had a strong drive for freedom and independence for as long as I can remember. Not many people know this, but I wanted to start Thirsty when I was 15, together with two friends from Poland. I used to be an active member of a streetwear community in Warsaw then and witnessed people I would meet at parties starting their brands, some of which became successful. We were real shopaholics at the time and would earn our first money reselling popular items from brands like Supreme or Yeezy by Kanye West. However, we did not know much about how to start a business so we abandoned the dream of having a clothing label. A few years later, I met Jakub and Jan and started diving deeper into the fashion industry and realized how messy it is. I changed my behavior, stopped going on regular shopping trips, started paying more attention to the country of origin or material composition, and convinced multiple people to do the same. One rainy evening in Tilburg, Jakub suggested that we should revive the dream I once had and start Thirsty Clothing with a sustainable mission. I remember feeling a spark of inspiration and answered: “Why not? Let's do it.” In life and entrepreneurship, I stick to the motto "You miss all shots you don’t take", so we took it."
Thirsty is not just another brand contributing to this problem. We are a movement Krzysztof
Q: What makes your clothing label unique or stand out in the market?
A: That’s my favorite question and one that we receive all the time. The fashion industry is an extremely saturated market in need of innovative solutions. Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What is more, 85% of all textiles end up in landfills every year. Thirsty is not just another brand contributing to this problem. We are a movement. We are thirsty to drive social and environmental change and raise people’s awareness so they can ultimately reflect on their behavior so that they think twice before going to Primark, H&M, or Zara. We ensure that everything we produce ends up in people’s wardrobes by following a pre-order model and producing based on demand. Additionally, each garment we produce has a unique meaning behind it telling social and environmental, often unspoken stories that allow people to express their values and share the story forward. Next to that, we aim to make the value chain as short as possible. We are transparent about every step of the production process so that what we do is known to you too. We are constantly thinking of ways to further differentiate ourselves and implement technology to become more sustainable and transparent.
Q: What's the funniest or most memorable mistake you've made as an entrepreneur, and what did you learn from it?
A: I will never forget the moment when Jakub received a blue envelope from the tax authorities and opened it at one of our online meetings. He started looking outside the window with a clearly baffled face as if questioning his existence. He was questioning not his own but the existence of Thirsty. What was inside the mail was a fine of €5000 for us to pay. It was around two years ago and we didn’t even start selling. We had just a small fraction of that sum in our bank account then. We were late with our tax return and did not indicate how much we earned and that’s why the fine came in. We knew exactly that our revenue was equal to €0 but the authorities assumed we were making big bucks. Jakub called a few people and clarified our situation. Ultimately, we had to pay a small fine of around €70. It was a huge relief. This situation was a bit of a wake-up call for us. It made us realize that we were now running a real venture with real money involved and not a student project anymore with no risk. We started getting more familiar with the tax rules here in the Netherlands to avoid such stressful situations in the future. Also, we learned that registering a company in December might not be a strategic move. To this day, every time I see a blue envelope lying at the doorstep, my heart freezes for a brief moment. As long as I don’t see “te betalen” written inside, I can relax again.
Stay true to your values, stay adaptable, and stay passionate about making a positive difference in the world. Stay curious and stay Thirsty Krzysztof
Q: Based on your experiences so far, what advice would you give to other entrepreneurs wanting to launch their own sustainable fashion startups?
A; There are plenty of things that could be improved within the industry so if you are passionate about fashion and sustainability I would recommend taking your shot. You don’t necessarily have to start a brand. To name a few opportunities, you can dive into processes like connecting brands with manufacturers to help with material sourcing, reusing recycled or upcycled materials, providing consulting services for brands to comply with the upcoming EU regulations in terms of sustainability, or working with technology integration to improve supply chains and its transparency. Many creatives and entrepreneurs are working in this industry in Tilburg and its surroundings so it’s quite easy to meet them and collaborate, making it a supportive environment. No matter what you end up doing, as long as you do something that feels close to you and embark on a path, a way appears. Keep in mind that building a sustainable fashion startup is a journey, not a destination. Stay true to your values, stay adaptable, and stay passionate about making a positive difference in the world. Stay curious and stay Thirsty.
Are you into unique and sustainable fashion? Are you curious and thirsty to check out more of Krzysztof’s work? Check out the Thirsty website and Instagram to stay up to date with their upcoming drop and future updates.