Concerned about the environmental impact of the textile industry, Emmanuel Leicher decided to create his own company to buy second-hand clothes from individuals named Friply.
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Emmanuel Leicher launched his microenterprise named Friply in February 2023. – © Eline Vion
At the height of his 28 years, Emmanuel Leicher launched last February in the creation of his microenterprise called Friply in the enclosure of WeForge, at 25 rue Lenepveu in Angers.
If his studies in cellular biology did not predestine him to work in the second-hand sector, his interest in ecology and textiles allowed him to take the plunge in order to create a concept of local purchase and resale of individuals, still too little present on the market.
« The textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. What individuals do not know is that: only 5% of their clothes are recovered locally, 88% of their donations are sent to wholesalers, and 7% of their clothes end up in open landfills in the other side of the Mediterranean. It’s paradoxical knowing that by donating your clothes, you think you’re doing a good deed “, explains the creator of Friply.
Finding a solution through reuse
The concept of Friply is simple. The idea is to buy their second-hand clothes directly from individuals and then resell them to local thrift stores.
« Initially, I hung posters in the city center. The next day I had my first appointment. I then understood that there was a real demand for Angers “, explains Emmanuel Leicher.
In order to facilitate deposits, appointment slots are open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after 6 p.m., on reservation. In the space of four months, Emmanuel has nearly twelve appointments a week to collect the clothes and estimate them: ” I check the condition of the parts and select them when they are of very good quality, with few or no defects. I don’t take fast fashion clothes for example. However, I keep most of the clothes, so they don’t end up in the trash. ».
An application to simplify purchases
A few weeks ago, Emmanuel Leicher launched an application to simplify searches for second-hand parts: “ I created my Friply application which lists all the clothes collected, so that potential buyers can consult them before their visit to a partner thrift store. I also want to add a functionality for booking clothes that we would put aside so that they can come and try them on directly at the thrift store within two days. The idea is to make second-hand simple and accessible to everyone. ».
For now, Emmanuel is working with the Tonnerre thrift store in Angers, run by his sister, but he hopes to work with other thrift stores in the future.
« Apps like Vinted have democratized the second-hand market, and now many are aware of the impact of fashion and want an ethical and ecological alternative. Mentalities have changed and it shows. In four months, I collected nearly 250 kilos of clothes and saved 15 tonnes of CO². It makes sense for people to know that their clothes will be resold 200 meters from their home ».
In the long term, the entrepreneur would like to find a place to open his own point of sale, develop short circuit delivery of clothes, and why not replicate the model in other cities.
By Eline Vion.
2023-07-05 14:46:11
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