#FoundersFridays: Meet Marthe de Groot

#FoundersFridays is an interview series highlighting Amsterdam’s wellbeing economy: for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. Each frontrunner shares insights into their entrepreneurial journey, key learnings, milestones, challenges, and perspectives on Amsterdam and the Dutch impact and innovation ecosystem. Founders Fridays is a platform for entrepreneurs to speak their minds freely and pass on their insights to anyone considering founding an enterprise.

For this #FoundersFridays interview, we spoke to Marthe de Groot, founder of Marie Marie. Marie Marie produces colorful crochet bags, made by a community of women in the Netherlands, based on the idea that fashion can be a force for good and even inspire social change. We discuss crochet, combining ethics and commercial success, and growing your business without changing its identity. 

Can you walk us through your career and how it led to the creation of Marie Marie?

Fashion has always fascinated me. When I started studying, TOMS was my big inspiration. This American shoe brand is especially known for its simple espadrilles and its business model with social impact. For every pair sold, TOMS donated shoes to a child in need. It was not just a commercial success, but also a brand with a mission. 

What stands out to me is that while many brands focus on sustainability, that alone isn’t enough—people also need to be motivated to buy the product. When I studied at AMFI, sustainability wasn’t a topic of conversation. It was strange because you’re training future fashion professionals, yet we barely discussed how to make a positive impact through the products we create. Fortunately, things have changed now. As a brand, you can no longer avoid thinking about your footprint. 

And after your studies?

After my studies, I interned at a sustainable communications agency and worked for several commercial brands. The common thread in all my work was always fashion and making an impact. However, that combination was missing from my last job, so I started questioning: The world is on fire—what am I contributing?

That’s when I decided to quit my job and pursue a career in education. I planned to start that journey in January but left my job in October. During these few months, the seeds for Marie Marie were planted.

It all started with a bag I bought from my grandma’s crochet club. I had never received so many compliments on an accessory before. That got me thinking: How sad that this craft mostly stays within the walls of a nursing home. Through my work, I had a lot of contact with stylists, photographers, and the media. Organizing a professional shoot on a small budget? I’d done that for years. My mom offered to help. I wouldn't have been able to start Marie Marie without the help of my mother and Sandy. They believed in the idea from the very beginning; Marie Marie wouldn't have existed without them. Sandy is the only one of the three of us who can crochet—she truly brought our patterns to life. 

Initially, I wanted to set up crochet clubs in nursing homes or support existing ones, however, the initiative grew into a diverse group of women from all walks of life. That teaching career? It never happened. 

Starting a fashion brand that is both a positive force and an inspiration for social change—where does that desire come from?

I started studying fashion because it’s something that affects everyone. Even people who say they have nothing to do with fashion still wear clothes. As a brand, you have the responsibility to contribute to positive change. When I was 16, my father sat me down in Primark and lectured me about the value of clothing and how "a T-shirt can’t cost just 6 euros." That’s when it clicked for me. Sustainability doesn’t mean a brand can’t be commercial, but profiting should never come at the expense of people and the planet. 

I design these bags because I find them beautiful, but I also want my work to create a positive impact. It's possible to craft exceptional products while contributing to the greater good. I firmly believe that businesses should not focus solely on profit but on their wider impact on society and the environment.

Is Amsterdam a good place for a startup?

This is where trends emerge, where people are inspired by art, culture, and the city itself. People here are open to new ideas. But at the same time, I want to create a bag that appeals to everyone, not just the fashion girls in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is making great progress in supporting entrepreneurs with a social mission. Various grants and programs for startups, such as Boost je Buurt, help entrepreneurs navigate what the municipality can do for them and connect them with other social entrepreneurs. I participated in 2022 and greatly benefited from the connections I made there.

Can you tell us about the different phases that Marie Marie has gone through?

Early on, Anna + Nina asked if they could sell the bags. At the time, I had just three crocheters, and I was personally assembling the patterns using Photoshop. Not long after, the Bijenkorf also expressed interest. That’s when I knew: okay, there’s a market here. And that was only after three months of Marie Marie. 

When Le Bon Marché in Paris, France placed a large order, we realized that our business model couldn’t meet the demand. We ramped up production—Aunt Corrie alone crocheted 100 bags! It was a lot, but when I called her afterward, she said: "You know what, Marthe? It was kind of thrilling." 

We’re now working with give-or-take 200 crocheters, spread across the country. They’re organized into hubs and can meet each other during our events or just come together on their own. We send out crochet kits to the hubs, they crochet the outer part of the bags and send it back. The inner part is sustainably produced here in Amsterdam, after which the bags are assembled. 

What's next for Marie Marie?

My next goal is to collaborate with a producer, so we spend less time on production and can focus more on the people who make Marie Marie special—bringing crocheters together, organizing events, and building our community. Ideally, I would start a social workshop in Amsterdam, where the bags are assembled. That would be a great next step. 

What’s a recent victory for your business?

I won the Future Businesswoman of the Year award from Veuve Clicquot in 2024, and I considered it a great honor and a recognition of our work at Marie Marie. This year we’re collaborating with Sissyboy, and we have just secured a major Japanese distributor, so we have some milestones ahead. 

What’s been a recent challenge?

I began with a mission to create social impact, but now I also have to focus on the business aspects. I didn’t start because I have a passion for entrepreneurship; I started because I wanted to make a difference. But I also need to negotiate sharply, generate growth, and always ask myself: what’s best for the business? That internal conflict can be a challenge at times.

What are the long-term plans?

We’re working on setting up a platform to digitize our crochet community so that other brands can also produce in this way if they want. My dream is to build an international Marie Marie community, present in cities around the world. I truly believe we have that potential.

If you’re an Amsterdam-based founder working on an innovative solution that solves an urban or social challenge, and you’d like to share your story with our audience, email impact@amsterdam.nl