Haarlems Dagblad

HAARLEM, August 2017

"She’s going to make it big with her luxury striped sweaters, scarves, and perhaps even bags and umbrellas under the fashion brand Breizh World. At least, that’s the conviction of Haarlem-based fashion entrepreneur Nicole Hoefsmit."

Hoefsmit is an open, cheerful person who chats away happily. She wasn’t always like that, but that’s how she became after her divorce. She lived in Bloemendaal and worked with her husband on his fashion label, Anna Scott, which has since been sold to new owners. Hoefsmit created a new collection four times a year for the Netherlands and ten other countries, but saw the business go downhill when the crisis began. Ultimately, the brand struggled, and bankruptcy loomed. Her marriage also fell apart, even though she did her best to save it.

After the bankruptcy, she had her back against the wall and, after much deliberation, decided to start her own clothing brand—even though she isn’t particularly fashion-conscious and actually studied art. “A few years ago, I was searching online for a nice sweater with Breton stripes but couldn’t find anything I liked. Back then, Breton stripes weren’t as trendy as they are now. That’s when I realized I could make something myself. A pattern like that is actually good, because it really limits your creativity.”

//“But you can learn, and learning is fun!”//

She had to set everything up on her own—create a website and order and source fabrics. But she was already able to do that because she’d learned it at her previous fashion brand. She didn’t know anything about finances because her husband had always handled that. “But you can learn, and learning is fun.” She borrowed money from her family. Through her own crowdfunding campaign, she raised tens of thousands of euros, which allowed her to launch her brand over a year ago. She works mostly from home and has already created three collections—two for winter and one for summer. She can’t make a living from it yet, but she will in about three years. The most important thing is that she’s her own boss and is doing something she enjoys. She’s gone “completely online”—she doesn’t have a store, not even a studio. Her clothes are made in China, Portugal, and Turkey.

Coco Chanel

The Breton stripe, says Hoefsmit, consists of 21 stripes. The pattern originates from Brittany, where the local people spun yarn and made shirts for the French navy. “The 21 stripes are a tribute to Napoleon and his 21 glorious victories. The fact that the international jet set—from Coco Chanel to Kurt Cobain—later embraced the stripe is what gave it its current iconic status.” Breizh stands for Brittany. Hoefsmit herself is wearing a green striped cotton sweater paired with a nice pair of black pants. “It looks fresh and never gets boring.” Her sweaters range from one stripe to 21 stripes and are made of organic cotton and wool combined with silk. They cost between 69 and 139 euros and are intended for the high-end market, as it’s called in fashion circles.

//' Clothing is becoming more sustainable, but that will still take some time.//

Initially, Hoefsmit wanted to supply her clothing to stores. But when she sent her business plan to a bank, she was told that approach was outdated. She’s done with “fast fashion.” “That means you produce four collections a year that have to be sold within two months, or else they end up in the clearance section. I believe in that less and less, and I think consumers do too. Clothing is becoming more sustainable, but it will still take some time.” She doesn’t rule out the possibility of opening a store someday so customers can see what they’re buying.

She admits that ordering online isn’t very sustainable. But she does offer a one-euro discount on orders if the clothing is delivered to a Post.nl pickup point instead of to your home. What she enjoys most is the interaction with customers and the new people she gets to know.

La Trut

For example, she designed a sweater with two men from Rotterdam that features the text “la trut.” “They make ‘trut’ (translated: ‘bitch’) sweaters to combat being a ‘trut’ and wanted to do something with Breton stripes.”

Hoefsmit often receives emails from customers. A woman who had bought a white sweater with Breton stripes sent her an email saying she’d spilled coffee on it. She wanted another one, but the only option available was a blue version. “I gave it to her as a gift. That’s marketing—because she’s so happy that she’s telling everyone about it.” Hoefsmit is now working on an umbrella. On Pinterest, she came across a black umbrella that says “merde il pleut” (damn, it’s raining). “I’m going to make that, and then I’ll move on to children’s boots. I want to become a lifestyle brand.”

Text: Annalaura Molducci

Source: Haarlems Dagblad