When the Lifestyle Hub opens in Aarhus’s Sydhavn district, 23-year-old VIA student Arendse Nordbo moves in with her second-hand brand Syringa Vintage.
It all began with a single TikTok video and 30 pieces of clothing in stock. The next day, the video had gone viral, the likes were pouring in, and Arendse suddenly faced a flood of orders. Today, she transforms clothing from Thai landfills into unique collections that radiate personal style, creativity, and new life.
Arendse sees the Lifestyle Hub as a place where she can experiment with her brand and test new ideas while also sparring with people who have experience in the industry.
Read the Q&A with Arendse to gain deeper insight into how she built her brand from the ground up—and what she thinks about becoming part of the Lifestyle Hub’s growing community.
Syringa Vintage er et secondhand-brand, der forvandler tøj fra thailandske tøjlossepladser til unikke tøjkollektioner.
Arendse Nordbo er skaberen af secondhand-brandet Syringa Vintage.
Syringa Vintage er et secondhand-brand, der forvandler tøj fra thailandske tøjlossepladser til unikke tøjkollektioner.
Syringa Vintage is a second-hand brand where I sell selected vintage finds in online collections.
Everything on my website comes from large clothing landfills in Thailand. I collaborate with a woman there who goes out and finds the pieces that are still usable and match the style I aim for. She washes and prepares them before they are shipped to me in Denmark. We are also working on sewing new styles from leftover materials – for example patchwork skirts or shirts that have simply been taken in at the waist.
When I started my studies at VIA, where I was studying Design Technology with a specialization in Buying, I learned how much the fashion industry pollutes. I began buying more second-hand, but found it difficult to find clothing in Denmark that matched my style. There were many options in the US, but it was expensive to have things shipped home. So I thought: why not create a brand that sells second-hand in my own style?
Very feminine and pink—glittery and floral. […] I think it took me a long time to find my own style. In the beginning, it was mostly whatever was trendy. […] Everyone says I always wear pink, and I actually do. It has become my statement, and people send me pictures every time they see something pink!
It happened a bit by chance. I actually started out wanting to study psychology or philosophy, but it didn’t feel right. So I looked at available study programmes and came across Buying at VIA. I had already started getting interested in second-hand and knew I didn’t want to be part of new production. Later, I switched to Branding and Marketing, where I could work on building a brand universe.
I think it’s difficult to build a brand today without social media, because they play such a huge role – especially TikTok. If something goes viral, it sells out immediately.
When I started Syringa Vintage, I posted just one video on TikTok – and when I woke up the next morning, it had over 100,000 likes. Within a week, I received over 1,000 messages from people– and I only had 30 products in stock, so I rushed to buy more. I sat in class trying to answer everyone on Instagram.
It was wild, but also stressful. I learned that you need to have your website ready before you start posting too much. Sometimes things just move faster than you expect.
I taught myself. I’ve watched what others do on TikTok and then tried things out. I think a lot of it comes down to intuition – feeling what works and what’s good to post.
At Formland, I met Jeanette Petersen, project manager for Design & Entrepreneurship at Lifestyle & Design Cluster. I was showcasing the newly founded brand FOR-NY, which I was part of at the time. Afterwards, I was invited to show the products at Princess Isabella’s birthday, and shortly after, I was offered a desk space. It just sounded really great: having a place to sit, work with focus, and spar with others.
I hope to build a strong community with other startups in the fashion and lifestyle industry. I’m truly inspired by meeting people who are passionate about what they do – it gives me drive.
That I dared to take the leap – and that I’ve figured everything out myself: sourcing, branding, marketing, and now the website too. It takes time, but it’s pretty cool to see that I can actually do it.
Syringa Vintage er et secondhand-brand, der forvandler tøj fra thailandske tøjlossepladser til unikke tøjkollektioner.
