How stain and odor resistant clothing made Kasper the man

35-year-old Kasper Brandi Petersen had it all. Still, he decided to take the leap.

The 35 year old Kasper Brandi Petersen had things going well: dressed in a suit every day and had a well-paid job where he traveled all over the world. But in this case, clothes don't make the man, or at least they do... Kasper decided to take a leap of faith and founded the company together with his fiancée Lotte Vink. LABFRESH to set up. A company that makes and sells stain and odor resistant men's clothing.

Text: Fleur de Jong Buy less, wash less and wear longer. That is the mission of founders Kasper and Lotte. The textiles of the clothing of LABFRESH is treated with a special technique, which makes it stain and odor resistant is becoming. In addition to the fact that you will never see red wine stains on your shirt again, the special technique also means fewer washes. This saves you money, but also a lot of waste, water and energy. It almost sounds too good to be true, but critics can experience the magic of the technology themselves in the flagship store of LABFRESH in Amsterdam, which opened its doors last month. However, if it were up to Kasper, it wouldn't just stop at Amsterdam. MASTERS will talk to the 35-year-old entrepreneur about his future plans and source of inspiration, among other things.

What is your personal USP?

“When I started my first company, it was all about hypergrowth and raising capital. Nowadays I am focused on living a balanced and fun life. It's about enjoying the journey. That's why I'm marrying my co-founder and raising money from private investors instead of big funds.”

What can the older generation of entrepreneurs learn from you?

“I think the older generation of entrepreneurs can learn something from my experimental mentality. I come from a generation of entrepreneurs who have been empowered by great technology. It's cheap and easy to test new ideas instead of just saying, "I tried that before and it didn't work." Such statements are difficult for me to accept. A more appropriate statement is: 'I don't think it will work, but I'm going to set up an experiment to test it and then look at the outcome'.” 

Who is your mentor or source of inspiration in the field of entrepreneurship?

“I get a lot of inspiration from athletes. I'm Danish and right now all I can think about is the European Football Championship and watching my national team play. The Danish team and especially footballer Simon Kjær is my biggest source of inspiration at the moment; their team spirit and culture are great and almost impossible to copy in a “normal” company like mine.''

What is your motto or quote?

”The three mottos that guide us in LABFRESH: 'Growth is a lifestyle', 'We take our work seriously, ourselves not so much' and 'Show constant care'.

What is the biggest entrepreneurial risk you have taken so far?

“The most difficult step I had to take was when I got my dream job. I traveled all over the world 180 days a year. I wore a suit and tie every day and both the pay and co-workers were great. When I chose to quit and move to Amsterdam to run a personal shopping service called The Cloakroom To start with, we had only raised €15.000 in funding and I was not entirely supportive of my decision to quit my old job. It turned out to be the best decision of my life, but it took me 12 months to realize that."

Where will you be in three years?

“In the coming years, I am fully focused on scaling LABFRESH across Europe – both online and the flagship stores. We are now also working on some amazing innovations in our lab in Switzerland. In 3 years I will be proud if we can say that 100% of our collection is made from recycled or lab-grown fibers.''Do you know or are you a successful, young entrepreneur who also deserves a place in the spotlight? Please email Fleur de Jong ([email protected]).Click here before and after,  new kid Dylan Laseur.