AITA for refusing to send free clothes to influencers—even though they could boost our brand?
Posted by: @noneofusofficial | UK/USA

Hi Reddit,

I co-founded a small fashion label called NoneOfUsOfficial, based between London and NYC. We create limited-run streetwear rooted in counterculture, protest history, and anti-fast-fashion ethics. We’re not trying to be “just another edgy brand”—we care about what we say and how we make it.

Anyway, we just released a drop called "Nothing Left But Noise"—oversized jackets, distorted prints, ethically produced. It sold out in days. No paid ads, just word-of-mouth and real community.

Since then, a few influencers (some big, some up-and-coming) have DM’d asking for free pieces in exchange for exposure. Some even offered styled TikToks and fit checks in our gear.

We politely declined. Every piece we make is hand-finished. Every drop is small. Giving out freebies, even for "exposure," takes away from people who genuinely support us by buying.

One influencer (with 500k followers) clapped back publicly, calling us “gatekeepers of underground fashion” and accusing us of being “too cool to grow.” That post went semi-viral, and now we're being dragged for having “bad attitude” and “biting the hand that feeds small brands.”

Some of our followers defended us. Others said we should “play the game” if we want to survive in the fashion world.

Now, even my co-founder is wondering if I was too rigid. We’re still new, and a post from the right person could change everything—