Otrium, the digital fashion outlet tackling the industry’s growing challenge of excess inventory, has appointed Zuhairah Washington as its new global CEO. Max Klijnstra, co-founder, will serve as Chief Sustainability & Growth Officer, aligning business growth with the outlet’s mission to connect its millions of customers with the world’s leading premium brands to ensure that all clothing that is produced is worn.

After joining the company as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2021, Washington will drive international growth and oversee all aspects of Otrium’s global operations – product, engineering, sales, marketing, logistics, expansion, legal, finance, and people functions. Under her leadership, Otrium will focus on charting a path to profitability in Europe and further scaling growth in the U.S. In 2022, Otrium’s U.S. members grew at a speed of 500%.

Washington says, “I feel extremely fortunate to lead a company that provides consumers of all socioeconomic backgrounds with access to the world’s top premium fashion brands at affordable price points in pursuit of a larger mission –  ensuring that all clothing that is produced is worn. As one of the few African-American female CEOs in tech leading a global fashion marketplace, I’m especially proud that we are building the next phase of Otrium with an executive  leadership team that is 40% women, of which 100% are women of color.”

Otrium partners with fashion brands to fix the costly environmental and economic challenges of excess inventory by offering a seamless way to open their own digital outlet channel. Otrium handles the complete e-commerce experience, from photography to fulfillment and shipping and after care. The company uses machine learning and proprietary technology to determine merchandising and surface product discovery. Otrium currently offers over  300 fashion brands on its platform.

Co-founder Max Klijnstra will drive Otrium’s marketing strategy and sustainability goals, further embedding its mission across the business. “Globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste is created each year and ends up in landfills. Otrium was founded to help reverse this trend. We envision a future where every piece of clothing produced is worn. As Otrium’s business grows, we will continue to help decrease the number of garments ending up in landfills. I want to keep personally driving this type of change forward for Otrium and for the industry,” added Klijnstra.

Co-founder Milan Daniels will continue to scale and foster the platform’s global brand partnerships, including Tommy Hilfger, Donna Karan New York, Filippa K, Scotch & Soda. Daniels says, “Max taking on the role of  Chief Sustainability & Growth Officer will enable us to bring these topics more into focus across the entire business. Combined with Zuhairah – who is an exceptional leader, one that shares mine and Max’s ambitions for Otrium – taking the role of CEO, and each of us assuming our dedicated roles, the executive team has never been better placed to make Otrium one of the world’s leading end-to-end outlet fashion platforms.”

Otrium serves over 20 markets across Europe and the U.S. from three logistics hubs in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. At the heart of the company’s success is a diverse and global team, representing over 30 nationalities.

In June 2023, Otrium published a first-of-its-kind comprehensive analysis of the avoided carbon emissions and waste of modern off-price business models with the support of climate tech start-up, Vaayu. To explore the findings, experience Otrium’s interactive 2022 Impact Report here.

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ABOUT OTRIUM 

Otrium is a purpose-driven digital fashion outlet that envisions a world where all clothing that is produced is worn. Otrium champions a technology-led approach, connecting a growing global community with excess stock from leading brands thereby empowering consumers to reduce industry waste, giving fashion brands a lasting presence and the fashion industry a new consciousness. Brand partners that have joined Otrium include Reiss, Belstaff, APL, All Saints, FARM Rio, Faherty, and Diane von Furstenberg. The company was founded in Amsterdam in 2017 and launched in the U.S. in October 2021. Otrium was named one of the world’s innovative fashion companies in Fast Company magazine’s annual 2023 list.

 

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