Vrouw achter het merk: Barbara Hilbrink
That a comfortable tracksuit can be just as stylish as a designer dress (and maybe even more comfortable), Barbara Hilbrink proves with her brand 10DAYS. For eighteen years, she has been creating clothing with her team that you can live, run, create, and discover in. Clothing from the first collection of 10DAYS is still being worn today, eighteen years later – and with just as much love. Her secret? “We don’t make trends, we make quality and we stay true to ourselves.”
If your friends were to describe you in three words, what would they say?
“Free, passionate, and creative.” She quickly says, almost apologetically (that doesn’t have to be the case at all): “Now it sounds like I think I'm really cool, but I just hear this back often. I don’t judge quickly and that feeling of freedom really suits me. I want to be able to move, discover, and choose my own path.” And then that passion. “I have so much passion. Especially for lifestyle. I have a very clear vision and I go all in for that.” She is definitely creative. “I make connections that others don’t see quickly. That faster thinking, combining things – I think that’s quite typical of me.”
Barbara, I have had items from your collection for years. They remain beautiful, they remain current. How do you do that?
“How nice! That’s exactly the intention. Timeless, qualitative, and endlessly combinable.” For 18 years, Barbara has been running the brand 10DAYS together with Myon, with Merle as her constant right hand. “My mind never stops. That’s why I need people beside me. Together we form a team that feels what is right.”
The secret? “We produce at a high level. Everything is made from the same fabrics, colors, materials. Black, white, gray, calm shades – and then suddenly a nice pop color. Leopard and stripes, those were already there then and now again. We don’t do trends. I prefer to make clothing that already exists, but better. Quality above all. And I still wear pieces from our first collections.”
What kind of education did you pursue?
“I did havo and failed before that. I found it a prison at school. I was just dreaming – I am really a dreamer. I think and dream very big, that is also my strength. I thought: you can make it without a diploma, and if you know what you want and you love it, then you just have to do it. That’s what I always tell people. After that, I followed the textile course in Enschede. A few years ago, my mother gave me the sketchbooks where I used to draw for weekends, often together with my sister and brother. Those sketchbooks contained entire collections that I had already thought of, and what turned out? It could have been 10DAYS. Really a goosebumps moment. As a 10-year-old girl, I was already dreaming and imagining the brand of the future. I am convinced that this is really meant to be is.”
And how did 10DAYS actually come about?
“We started without a plan,” Barbara says. “We saw something that didn’t exist yet: strong basics with a twist. Things you can wear every day, but that are just a little different. And suddenly it grew bigger and bigger.” She laughs. “Myon and I had the same style, the same values. We missed something in the offering, so we made it ourselves. We were the first with the jogging fabric blazer. Now you see it everywhere, but back then it was revolutionary.”
Have you always wanted to do this? “Yes!” she says. “As a little girl, I was always into fashion.”
What makes 10DAYS different from other brands?
“Our loyalty to ourselves. We are not seduced by the biggest trends. We feel it ourselves, create from feeling,” says Barbara. And that means: not going along with what everyone wants, but making what feels right. “We are really authentic. And our vision is progressive, and that is visible in our large group of loyal customers who have been shopping with us since day one. That group is also getting bigger, very special. That more and more customers are adopting our lifestyle. The collection has such a nice style that I wish for everyone. No trash, no fast fashion, clothing that you can literally wear your whole life, that is what I consider truly sustainable. Our children’s line for example: unisex, already thirteen years ago. Back then, no one understood it. Now it’s the norm.”
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Aren't you ever afraid to take risks?
“Not really. I am very optimistic. If I have an idea, I just want to do it right away. Do I have an idea today? Then I work it out the next day. This might also be my biggest tip: just do it. Don’t wait until something is perfect, because it never will be. You learn by doing. I keep dreaming – but I also truly believe it will work.”
How do you keep up that pace?
“My mind never stops. But that also gives energy. If I can create, then I go for it. And I drag everyone along. That is pure passion.” Work and life also completely blend together. “My children say it too: mom, you are always working. But for me, it doesn’t feel like work.”
What does your everyday morning routine look like?
“Not very exciting: I wash my face with water and apply oil – I do that in the evening too. By the way, we are now developing our own oil at 10DAYS. Furthermore, I exercise a lot, so I do strength training every morning (very disciplined). I eat healthy and I believe that you really start to shine from that. I drink a lot of water and hardly any alcohol. I hardly wear makeup in the morning. I get my eyebrows done every now and then – that’s the only thing.’
And what do you wear on an average workday?
“Something comfortable. Always. My outfits are practically a uniform: an oversized blazer, joggers, a big sweater. Preferably without underwear,” she laughs. “And old sneakers. If I feel something pinching, I can’t think.” Even at home, it’s basic. “My house is calmly furnished. I need structure to handle the chaos in my head.”
And your perfume of the moment?
“Our own perfume of course, which we developed 1.5 years ago in Grasse.” Citrus, orange blossom – a bit fresh, a bit sultry, 100% Barbara.
What is your biggest source of inspiration?
“Literally everything is a source of inspiration. I am currently in the lobby of the hotel where I am staying in China and I just saw someone walk by with beautiful shoes – in my head, I am already imagining a whole collection. I get energy from traveling, staying in motion. On a plane, I get the best ideas. And no, I have never come up with anything behind my desk.”
If anything were possible, what would you still want?
“A 10DAYS mansion. A place where everything comes together: our collection, a café, the complete lifestyle concept.” And secretly she dreams of another path: “Photography. I am so fascinated by the female body. If I ever have time – I am sure I will do that.”
Finally: three lessons you have learned in 18 years of entrepreneurship?
She thinks for a moment. “Follow your heart. Really. That’s number one. Then: be true to yourself. Don’t get caught up in noise. And: everything happens for a reason. Even things that go wrong teach you something. Regret? I don’t do that.”
