Dematerialized | About Us

the beginning

Courtney moved from NYC to the Netherlands in 2019 to be with her boyfriend, Edward. Before long, she started missing the thrifting culture she grew up with in the U.S.—something she’d been doing with her mom since she was old enough to walk.

the idea

One day, while standing in line at ZARA, she thought: What the f*** am I doing here? She realized she kept buying things she barely wore, so she went home on a mission to personally solve all of the fashion industry’s problems. An overly ambitious goal.

the problems

A closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.

Too many things you no longer wear, but not sure what to do with them.

Too lazy to sell on Vinted or elsewhere.

Buying more and wearing once, or only a few times.

Trying to be sustainable, but realizing secondhand often costs more than fast fashion.

And continuing the cycle—because fast fashion is convenient and there isn't an affordable alternative.

the first step

Courtney and Edward spent many hours building a proof of concept website for non-traditional clothing rentals—not designer pieces or occasion wear, but everyday clothes you actually live in. And because Courtney cannot stand that unmistakeable thrift store smell, she spent (and continues to spend) even more hours making sure every item is washed, steamed, and ready to wear.

the validation

All the effort paid off during a May 2025 pop-up, where every conversation served as confirmation that Dematerialized isn’t just an idea. It’s a shared feeling: nobody wants to contribute to textile waste, but everybody loves new clothes. Women are ready for an alternative.

the interim

After the pop-up ended, with no store yet, Courtney transformed Edward’s office into a mini “showroom.” Members could book private appointments to try on and exchange clothes. It wasn't ideal, but it somehow worked (thanks to our members' enthusiasm for the concept).

the vision

The goal was always to have a store. To create a hyper-localized shared closet. A store where you can just walk in, take what you want, wear it, and bring it back when you're done. No need to pay-per-item, no guilt if you know you'll only wear it once—just the freedom to wear what you want, when you want.

the sign

A few weeks after the pop-up, Courtney noticed that a house with a storefront RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE POP-UP LOCATION just so happened to be for sale. It was love at first visit.

the realization

Now, Courtney and Edward have a store where women can just walk in, take what they want, and bring it all back when they're done.

It's the fast-fashion alternative we’ve all been waiting for.

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