Hey, I’m Ellie. Also known as The Dutch Rebel. I’ve always chosen my own path. Even when it didn’t make sense to anyone else. Creativity has been in my blood for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was sketching my own fashion designs, running a blog and even had a little business making wallets out of old juice cartons. Upcycling was already my thing before I even knew what it meant. I grew up on 70s and 80s music, and that nostalgic, rebellious energy shaped my style. I was rocking vintage pieces and bell flare jeans early in life. That was my first taste of true rebellion: owning who I was, without a doubt.

When I was 17 years old and had just finished high school, I suffered a brain hemorrhage. After surgery, a year of recovery and a battle with depression, I finally made it to my lifelong dream: starting art school… only to realize it wasn’t for me. I felt boxed in, forced into a mold that just wasn’t me.

The years that followed were messy. I tried to fit into the “normal” route: new studies, jobs, cities. But nothing felt right. Watching everyone around me find their paths while I felt stuck was rough. Until I decided to fall back on that fearless, creative kid inside me. I came up with a business concept that combined my passion for vintage clothing and making art. That was the beginning of The Dutch Rebel.

Now, I design one-of-a-kind wearable art, blending nostalgia with rebellion. I built everything from scratch: my webshop, collaborations, having my designs sold in 11 stores across Europe; including Ibiza, Switzerland and Berlin. From feeling like a misfit to building my own empire. That’s true rebellion to me.