About us
MANIFESTO
The Earth is Our Boss. Guided by three hands—Create, Connect, Protect—we transform waste into opportunity. Through creativity, we connect people, inspiring a global movement to protect life and our planet. Together, we redefine fashion with purpose, crafting a future where sustainability is the thread that unites us all.
Meet the artists behind
Xenia Sidorenko, owner and creative designer of upcycling brand useDEM. Born in Russia and raised in St. Petersburg, surrounded by breathtaking architecture and exposed to the arts at ballet school, Xenia found inspiration for her creativity. Her passion for sustainability came from her experience with mass production denim jeans as a Product Designer and the adverse impact the industry had on the environment. Xenia witnessed firsthand the wastage of textiles and the pollution problems created by fast fashion business models. She couldn’t stand idly by, and the idea for useDEM came about when she was asked to clear a showroom of jeans and discard them. Instead, she rescued them — used them — or useDEM. The jeans found their way to her apartment, where she began cutting and experimenting, ultimately resulting in the creation of the first useDEM backpack, the Buddy Bag.
And so it was, from her modest apartment in Shanghai, China she founded useDEM in 2015 with a primary goal of reducing textile waste. Believing that upcycling is a possible solution to the textile industry’s pollution. More than that, by transforming discarded textile into unique, beautiful, and marketable products, useDEM aims to reshape our consumer-driven society’s mindset. As Xenia eloquently puts it, “we give the material a chance to live again.”
BUSINESS STREAMS
For B2C, we empower end consumers to embrace sustainable shopping and take an active role in reducing textile waste. With UseDem, every individual has the unique opportunity to transform their old jeans into stylish, one-of-a-kind fashion pieces that tell their own story. For B2B, we collaborate with forward-thinking companies to integrate mass upcycling into their business models. Our upcycling methods and processes enable businesses to transform surplus fabrics, unsold inventory, or outdated products into valuable, sustainable goods. Together, we help fashion and other businesses to reduce waste, enhance their sustainability credentials, and align with the growing demand for responsible practices.
SPECIAL WAY OF MAKING SPECIAL PRODUCT
At useDEM, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. We are proud to stand alongside HomeSweetHome, an organization devoted to providing training and jobs for individuals with special needs.
Meet our team
XENIA SIDORENKO
The visionary founder of USEDEM — a limitless upcycling designer with a mantra: The Earth is My Boss. Ecopreneur crafting a sustainable revolution one design at a time
GIGI GAO
Leading the way as China Brand Manager, dedicated to environmental awareness, advocates Think Big Act Consciously.
DORINE VEERMAN
Introducing our European Brand Manager Dorine, a dynamic force in sustainable leadership, driving a relentless commitment to upcycling practices in Netherlands.
DARIA Krasnoperova
Daria is passionate about sustainable business development and meaningful marketing, has been working in China for 9 years for international brands.
DARREN REVILL
Advisory board member.
After a long career in the fossil fuel industry, I sought to make a meaningful impact on the environment. Becoming a board advisor for a sustainable brand
allows me to contribute positively to sustainability efforts. I'm passionate about driving change and supporting innovative solutions for a better future.
Our Strategic Partner in Denim Innovation: Prosperity Textile
At useDEM, sustainability isn’t a solo mission — it’s a collaboration. That’s why we’re proud to work hand-in-hand with Prosperity Textile, one of the world’s leading denim fabric manufacturers, in turning denim waste into timeless, upcycled designs. Since 2017, Prosperity Textile has supported useDEM by providing leftover stock fabrics and out-of-season denim samples — raw materials that fuel our upcycling production. Together, we’ve diverted over 20 tons of textile waste from landfills and transformed it into high-impact, meaningful products. This partnership is rooted in shared values. As Mr. Xiang Gu, General Manager of Prosperity Textile, says: “We really like the ideas of Xenia and the whole useDEM project. This cooperation is part of our continued effort to build a green environment. By doing this together, we hope more companies and consumers can join us to make denim more sustainable.” Together, we’re stitching a new standard where waste becomes value — and style doesn’t cost the planet.