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Explore the FAC Shop Collection
Amsterdam, the Netherlands; A haven for the underground. The city's nightlife has long been a place of radical self-expression. From the 1946 establishment of COC, the world's oldest queer rights organisation, to clubs like the legendary Roxy, where regulars would plan their outfits weeks in advance. Over time, raw nightlife fashion dimmed into casual streetwear. Amsterdam's departure from its rich history of expression made Joella Schipper realise that a revival was due, and that's where FAC Shop was born.
Before the boutique, FAC was a vintage stall at a local market. The brand grew into a string of pop-up shops, and each one tested what Joella loved selling most. It would take a quieter moment between projects for the answer to land.
In an exclusive interview with LILIVANT, Joella talks FAC Shop's evolution, the heartbeat of Amsterdam's underground, and the power of dressing exactly how you feel.
Tell us the story behind FAC Shop and how it all began. What inspired you to open the store?
I started out selling vintage at a local market in Amsterdam. From there, I began creating pop-up shops with different concepts, from vintage furniture and plants to vintage fashion. At one point, I was running two pop-up stores at the same time, and when both ended, I finally had a moment to reflect on what I truly loved selling most.
The answer was easy: extravagant fashion and nightlife culture.
Whenever I went out in Amsterdam myself, I felt like something was missing. We live in Amsterdam, a world city, yet everyone seemed to be dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. It felt so boring to me. Around that same time, I watched a documentary about the Roxy, the legendary Amsterdam nightclub where people would spend weeks preparing their outfits before going out. I remember thinking: why don’t people do that anymore? Why don’t people dress up for nightlife?
That feeling became the foundation of FAC Shop. I wanted to bring that excitement, creativity, and self-expression back into Amsterdam nightlife.
Originally, my vintage label was called Feather and Cross Vintage, shortened to FAC Vintage. Over time, FAC evolved into 'Freespirits and Clubbers.'
What first pulled you into nightlife culture personally?
Before discovering nightlife, I was part of a traditional student association in Amsterdam. Going out there mostly revolved around drinking in bars, and it all felt quite narrow-minded to me. Later, through a friend, I started going to techno events and honestly, it opened my eyes completely.
Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by Amsterdam’s colorful rave and queer scene, where people welcomed me with open arms and everyone felt so open-minded and free. For the first time, I truly felt at home.
The opening of FAC Shop naturally blended together with my integration into nightlife culture. The more I went out, the more people I met many of whom became customers, and eventually friends.
As an Amsterdam local, how would you describe Amsterdam nightlife compared to other cities?
What I love most about Amsterdam nightlife is how easily people connect with each other.
For example, in other cities I sometimes really have to make an effort to start conversations with people. I even developed a little tactic there: giving someone a compliment to break the ice. In Amsterdam, especially within the rave and queer scene that openness comes naturally.
You can end up talking to someone so easily, whether it’s in the smoking area or just by sharing a moment on the dance floor. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, and suddenly you’re dancing and talking together like old friends.
What’s something people misunderstand about rave, festival and nightlife culture?
A lot of people think nightlife is only about getting wasted, but for me it’s so much more than that.
Nightlife has introduced me to people I would never normally meet during everyday life. It has made me more open-minded and helped me discover new sides of myself. It’s also a space where people can express themselves in ways they perhaps can’t during daytime life.
For many people, nightlife becomes a place for self-discovery, freedom, creativity, and connection and those experiences often carry over into daily life as well.
It’s about much more than just partying hard.
Your store focuses on strong independent labels that shape the scene. Tell us a bit about how you choose pieces, find designers, and put outfits together. What can people expect in-store?
FAC Shop offers a mix of vintage, new, handmade, and upcycled pieces. Most of the brands are based in Europe, with a few labels from the US as well. I currently stock around 20 brands from Berlin — Europe’s techno capital.
Sometimes designers find me naturally, and then I look at whether we’re the right fit together. But most of the time, I actively search for new labels myself through platforms like Etsy and Instagram.
I try to create a balanced selection between classic black ravewear staples like chains, harnesses, and darker pieces while also bringing in more colorful and playful items, such as holographic catsuits or mesh dresses.
I want the store to feel expressive, unexpected, and fun.
When people visit FAC Shop, or wear a FAC Shop outfit, what do you want them to feel or experience?
First of all, I want people to feel safe and free to experiment when they enter the shop.
If someone wants to explore whether they feel comfortable wearing something outside of traditional gender expectations for example, a man trying on a skirt, I want FAC Shop to be a space where they can do that without judgment.
More than anything, I want people to feel transformed when they leave with a FAC Shop outfit. Confident, sexy, expressive and fully ready to receive all the compliments that come with wearing something that truly represents who they are.
