Erik Ammann, a resident of the Centrale Markthal for a year now, is half German and half Dutch, and has been working on a rental platform for baby and children’s clothing, Red Orka, Circular Baby wear. “By now, it’s not just for babies; we rent clothes for children up to around 4 years old.” His involvement in the textile industry is influenced by his background. His entire family is in textiles, so you could say it’s in his blood.
Why a rental platform for baby and children’s clothing? “We started a rental platform because we ourselves love beautiful sustainable clothing, which tends to be expensive. However, especially babies outgrow everything so quickly that some items might be worn only twice. It’s a shame to throw them away. With us, you can rent beautifully sustainably made onesies, as well as t-shirts, pants, jackets, and sleeping bags. We search for brands we love and purchase various sizes from them. You can rent this dress or snowsuit from us for a monthly fee. When it no longer fits, you send it back. Very sustainable, but also very circular and creative.”
Through their clothing procurement, they define their own identity, but they also design clothing themselves.
The entire company is geared towards reusing items for as long as possible, repairing them when necessary, and recycling them until they are truly no longer usable.

When asked why the Centrale Markthal , Erik responds, “For me personally, the coolest thing about the Centrale Markthal is that it combines history with the future. It used to be such an important place for Amsterdam, and it’s becoming that again now with companies focused on a healthier future.”
Erik mostly interacts with the people on the third floor, it’s always interesting to hear what others are involved in; everyone here has their own business.

w. red-orka.com
Let’s start a small revolution in baby wear that leads to big things!

Photos by Chris van Houts