My company is bigger than eBay but never buy my kids new toys and I make them sell the ones they have
AS THE Kardashians are well aware, having a successful businesswoman for a mum typically means wardrobes stuffed full of designer clothes and the latest must-have accessories.
However, for Milda Mitkute’s offspring that simply isn’t the case.
The mum-of-four, from Lithuania, is the founder of the hugely successful second-hand marketplace app Vinted.
Launched in 2008, the website was a place where Lithuanian girls could swap clothes but 15 years later Vinted boasts more than 80 million users and is the number one resale marketplace in the EU, above eBay.
Reportedly worth a cool £3.8 billion, you might expect Milda’s kids’ lives to mirror that of the Kardashians, however, the businesswoman explains that is far from the case.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous Milda explains: “My husband and I are very conscious of what we buy and how much we buy and we want to lead by example when it comes to my own kids.
“As a parent you so often are buying new things and then throwing them away in a matter of months.
“You buy, you throw, you buy, you throw.
“And I didn’t want my kids to get into the habit of wasting things especially when the price of everything is going up.
“But it is in a child’s nature to want things and there is constantly a new toy that they’re after.
“It is also in their nature to become bored with them equally as quickly and before you know it they want something new again.”
With Vinted promoting a sustainable approach to fashion, Milda was keen to come up with a solution for her children’s habit for new and shiny things.
“I never buy them new toys,” she says.
“All their toys are ones that they buy themselves and if they want new ones they have to buy those second hand.
“They can sell their old toys on Vinted. Anything they make they can have to buy new things but they must be bought from Vinted.
“We’ve asked friends as a rule not to buy them anything new and the kids are totally used to it now.”
While to some Milda’s methods might seem ‘mean’ she says to her kids it’s second nature.
“We used to have to remind them not to use too much loo roll or to turn the tap off while brushing their teeth,” she says.
“But they are totally used to that way of living now.
“It’s no longer a rule, it’s just their natural behaviour.”
Vinted was founded by Milda and her friend Justas Januaskas in 2008, taking off when it caught the interest of Mantas Mikuckas, an angel investor from Lithuania, who decided to support the company.
The mum-of-four, who is based in Berlin, is no longer actively involved in the company but remains a co-founder and sustainability remains a huge focus in her life and at the heart of the company.
“While I’m not actively involved, the people running the business are my friends so I’m not totally separate,” Milda says.
“I’m so proud of how far the company is coming along and the progress we are making in our aim towards more sustainable shopping.”
According to Vinted’s Climate Impact Report, over a third (39%) of transactions prevented the purchase of a new one, resulting in an average carbon emissions saving of 1.8 kg CO₂e per second-hand item (equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of charging 219 smartphones).
Better still, a fifth (20%) of members say they would still choose to buy second-hand over new, even if prices were similar, so second-hand really has become the first choice for many.
HOW TO GET MINTED WITH VINTED
Bay Garnett, Vinted’s Thrift Advisor, shares their top tips for the app.
- If you are after ‘quiet luxury’, head straight to menswear. There is nothing like an oversized men’s shirt pulled in with a belt to give an outfit an expensive and sophisticated silhouette. You can create the look for £10 or £20 – just find a second-hand one on Vinted and make it yours by turning up the collars and adding a vintage wide leather belt.
- A dark, ribbed roll-neck almost always looks expensive but make sure the fabric is good quality – ribbed cashmere or wool is best (can be expensive but find it second-hand). Add a gold chain for a 70s sophisticated chic spin.
- Go for silver and gold lurex – people sometimes feel these fabrics look cheap BUT put them with the right thing and nothing looks better: a gold long-sleeve top with blue denim jeans is a winner – very rock ‘n’ roll late 1960s.