Belgian fashion house Natan, led by designer Edouard Vermeulen, has just opened its first boutique in Paris. “I’ve never made crazy investments.”
Prestige
In the Benelux, Natan is a household name. Vermeulen is Queen Mathilde’s favorite designer, and the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands are also among his customers.
The decision to move to France and open its own boutique is, therefore, first and foremost a matter of prestige, Vermeulen indicates in De Standaard. “This is an important moment for me,” he says. “Paris is the international capital of fashion. I already regularly get French customers in my shop in Brussels, but it’s better to come to them. In this way, we can expand our international sales market.”
Calculated risk
Isn’t he afraid of the competition? Paris is teeming with absolute leading brands such as Gucci, Dior, Vuitton, and many others. “I’m going to give myself three seasons. If it amounts to nothing, I will close the boutique”, says Vermeulen, who realizes that he is taking a risk, but a calculated risk. “I’ve been in the business for 37 years. I’ve always thought everything through and never made crazy investments.”
Natan already has six stores of its own in Belgium, and one in Amsterdam. His prêt-à-porter collection is for sale at some hundred points of sale.
