Modefabriek Meets Fashion Club 70

In our series Modefabriek Meets, we take a look at the upcoming edition together with several well-known fashion agencies. Who are they, how are they doing, and what’s new at Modefabriek this January? This time, we speak with Daan Bruggenwirth of the renowned Belgian agency Fashion Club 70.

“We’ve been around for 50 years this year!” Daan Bruggenwirth suddenly realises as he revisits the remarkable origin story of Fashion Club 70. How founder and owner Luc Dheedene fell in love with leading Italian brands and decided to represent them in the Benelux. The charismatic businessman is still active in the company every day, though he has passed on the leadership to his son Miguel, the current CEO. His presence continues to inspire everyone working at Fashion Club 70, from the long-time core team with 25 years of experience to the youngest newcomers. “Luc knew everyone personally, Gianfranco Ferré, Mr. Moschino, Gianni Versace, and built business with them. So yes, that comes with great anecdotes. But he also still has close contact with many manufacturers.”

A strong reputation

Fashion Club 70 is an agency of stature, not only because of the beautiful high-end brands in its portfolio. “We’re located about ten minutes from the centre of Antwerp, with a large structure of three interconnected buildings where we do everything to serve our clients, including a restaurant and various facilities. But it’s also because we constantly bring something new. Additionally, we own several stores and hospitality venues, such as the stunning multibrand boutique Verso in Antwerp and Knokke. There, we sell all the top first lines, from Dior to Miu Miu and Prada, you name it. Next to Verso in Antwerp is our fine dining restaurant Le Pristine by Sergio Herman, with a Michelin star. Across the street you’ll find one of our beloved brasseries, the Matterhorn. We also operate several monobrand stores in Belgian cities, such as Liu Jo and 7 For All Mankind, and outlets in Maasmechelen.”

How has Fashion Club developed over the years?

“Since 2002, we started taking on American brands, and later also French, German and Scandinavian brands. This is part of a taste that evolves in dialogue with our customers, now around 1,200 of them. Yes, we have a reputation for operating at the higher end: we used to represent Marni, Valentino, Blumarine, Roberto Cavalli, but over time many of these brands opened their own showrooms in Paris or Milan. Some high-end brands, like those from Armani, we still represent. But we’ve broadened our range because the market has become very complex and diverse. We now also serve customers with Buy Now Wear Now collections, while continuing to work with internationally known brands such as Joseph and Vince. Our goal is to support every client who curates a store with taste.”

Something special for Modefabriek

“We’ve been present at Modefabriek for years. It’s our way of giving something back to all the clients who visit us in Antwerp. We feel it’s important to introduce our new brands, those we believe have real potential in the Dutch market, at Modefabriek. This coming edition, we’re even going a step further: right after Modefabriek, we’ll host a pop-up showroom in Amsterdam with several brands, making it easier for new clients to get on board. And of course, we’re always delighted to welcome them to Antwerp afterward.”

What can we expect at Modefabriek? What’s new?

“Those Buy Now Wear Now collections, introduced because consumers are becoming more cautious with their budgets, will be represented by two brands we’re taking with us: HaveOne from Bologna, we’ve had a very strong start with them, already heading toward 40 clients and VICOLO, which we’re showing for the third year. With these, we can offer even customers with higher-end selections a really attractive entry price. We’ll present them together on one stand.

The Italian label Fracomina will have its own stand for the first time, on a prominent spot with a high back wall to really showcase the brand identity. It’s a brand with an exceptional price–quality ratio that pairs beautifully with Italian collections but also appeals to a broader customer base.

Lola Casademunt, which previously appeared in our multibrand Fashion Club 70 booth, is now getting its own stand. This Spanish label is entering its fourth season with us, and it’s been very successful. The collections are incredibly optimistic, bold in their use of colour and offering strong value for money. We already have 80 points of sale, a clear sign that it’s working well in both markets.

Across from that, GUESS will have a very large booth. It’s a brand with an extraordinary history, once known for an over-the-top sexy image, but now making a strong and thoughtful comeback. A true boutique brand with great value for money. GUESS JEANS will also be there, very interesting for Gen Z thanks to their innovative sustainable air-washing process. They’ve opened up their archives too, pure nostalgia! We see it as a real win that iconic retailer De Rode Winkel has already signed on fully.

And finally, fresh off the press, we’ve only just signed 2NDDAY, the younger sister of DAY Birger et Mikkelsen. Slightly more affordable, edgier, more rock ’n’ roll. They’re entering the Benelux market now that they’ve brought on the head designer from Cph Muse. We won’t receive the main collection until mid-January, so we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to launch it at Modefabriek.”

We are too! See you in Vijfhuizen!