Reworking the Past: How Freya Simonne is Redefining Secondhand Fashion
As we embrace Secondhand September — a month dedicated to making more conscious, considered choices — we're thrilled to spotlight Freya, the founder of Freya Simonne, a brand built on the beauty of slow fashion, sustainability, and storytelling. Freya creates one-of-a-kind pieces using vintage textiles and deadstock fabrics, thoughtfully repurposing materials that might otherwise go to waste. Her work is a celebration of craftsmanship, heritage, and the power of fashion to do good. We caught up with her to talk about her creative journey, the values behind Freya Simonne, and how she’s using fashion as a force for good.
Hi Freya, it’s lovely to meet you! To start off, could you introduce yourself to our community and tell us a bit about your beautiful brand, Freya Simone?
First of all thanks so much for spot lighting what we are doing at Freya Simonne! I have been designing clothes for my whole career but after a lock down redundancy I finally took the leap to focus on making clothes in a way that aligned with what I love and what I felt and still feel is important - to not negatively impact our beautiful planet. I have always adored shopping secondhand and for vintage and so I think it was just a natural progression that my brand would follow along that pathway with the added twist of reworking these beautiful vintage pieces of textile into something extra special.
What inspired you to launch Freya Simone? Was there a defining moment or personal experience that sparked the idea?
It actually all happened very organically I had started upcycling some of my own clothing in Lockdown which had slowly gained a bit of momentum and had progressed into reworking vintage clothing and then vintage textiles and then as mentioned above when I was made redundant it felt like the next step to give it a go full time.
How would you describe the core values behind the brand? What’s at the heart of everything you create?
At the heart of Freya Simonne is reuse. Before we recycle we need to learn to reuse things better to really give our beautiful planet a chance at recovering from the devastation that we have caused. There is just so much that already exists and so much that is so beautiful it deserves a second chance to be loved and cherished.
Why do you choose to work with secondhand and vintage materials over new ones?
It is what the brand is all about. I wanted to showcase what can be made from what already exists in a contemporary and unexpected way. When I first started reworking vintage quilts and tablecloths no one else was really doing anything similar and so it felt really exciting to remind people that there is so much beauty in what we already have if we give ourselves the time and space to reimagine it.
One of your signature materials is secondhand quilts. What inspired that choice, and what do you love about working with them?
It was the first vintage textile I worked with. I found an amazing 60’s orange and lilac floral nylon quilt and it felt weirdly modern yet nostalgic at the same time which I suppose is still a thread that runs through everything I do today. I hadn’t seen anyone rework those types of quilts before and it felt more like a puffer jacket when finished rather than the more common patchwork jackets. That’s what started off my obsession with all vintage textiles!
Using secondhand and deadstock materials gives each piece a story. How does that tie into the identity and values of the Freya Simone brand?
I really love that aspect of working with these old and beautiful textiles. I love that they have already lived so many lives and I love giving them new life again! I think ultimately to look after our clothes and keep them in our wardrobes we have to be emotionally tied to them. And I find working with these textiles creates just that. I have reworked customers grandmas old quilts and I don’t think there is much that could be more special then that. Creating heirlooms for generations to come - hopefully!
Do you have any standout or ‘pinch me’ moments from your journey so far?
Definitely the first time I was featured in Vogue was a huge pinch me moment. As well as popping up in the iconic corner shop at Selfridges and a really fun collaboration with NYC based brand Love Shack Fancy.
And lastly, for those of us inspired by what you do, do you have any tips on how to use deadstock or secondhand fabrics in our own lives?
My biggest tip is to just try. Don’t be afraid of getting it wrong just start and something will come out of it in the end. Work with the shape of the textile and figure out the easiest way of making it wearable or into whatever you want - I always think they would make great cushion covers too! Time spent making with your hands is never wasted, it’s the best kind of therapy - and free!