Fashion brand Zilch Amsterdam hands out a thousand free ferry caps at the East Ferry on Tuesday. Kirsten Berkhout (41) explains.
Funny name.
"Yes, even on the ferry you are really not allowed without a face mask. People often think: streetcar, bus, train, but also on the ferry you have to. And when they do wear a mask, it is often a dull color, no patterns. We thought: that could be a bit more colorful. Our clothing, especially the summer collection, consists of bright colors. From the fabric left over, we are now making pontoon caps."
A gap in the market.
"We thought: mouth cap, pontoon cap, that's funny. And we have fabric to spare. So why not? But we see it more as a playful action to beautify the streetscape. We're doing it with no commercial intent."
Aha, that's why you guys are giving away a thousand for free today.
"Yes, we hand them out between nine and 10:30 in the morning and between 3:30 and 5 in the afternoon. We have found that people get very happy with them. They get to pick one themselves, have to smile and put it on. It's a gift in these sad times."
Do you make the caps yourselves?
"Our Greek producer makes them at cost; he thought it was an incredibly nice idea. We ordered ten thousand of them and are sending them to our outlets for free. If they want more, they can also stock them at cost price. That way you help each other a little, and the customers love it, those fur caps among our clothes."
That way you do something for someone else.
"Everyone feels the impact of the corona crisis. If you can do something then, you do it. It's a drop in the bucket, but oh well, it's something."
