CEO interview
At Mikuta the controls are set to expansion. The first international location in the Dutch capital also houses its own showroom and marks the start of the wholesale business. After the opening, we spoke to Mikuta CEO Christian Goossens about further growth plans, product range expansion and key markets.
Mr. Goossens, you have just opened your new store in Amsterdam. Why did you choose the Dutch market?
Amsterdam has always been one of our favorite cities in Europe. We wanted a location that fits our brand narrative: lively, creative, international and compact in the best possible way. The city is also an important European hub with strong tourism and one of our best-performing markets. Overall, it just felt like the perfect match to open our first international store.
Have you already set your sights on other locations?
We are constantly on the lookout for future locations and are already thinking about the next steps. We have large metropolises like London and Paris on our radar. We also find the USA – especially New York and Los Angeles – very exciting because they are now our largest market. However, nothing has been finally confirmed at this point.
So far you have only been active in the direct-to-consumer sector. The Amsterdam store also houses a showroom. So is this the start of the wholesale business?
Yes, absolutely. Amsterdam is centrally located and easily accessible, making the city the ideal location for our showroom.
We wanted to create a space that conveys the same atmosphere as our retail stores. We look forward to welcoming existing and future wholesale partners so that they can experience Mikuta first hand, experience our core items tactilely and visually, and get a sneak peek at upcoming collections.
Can you tell us more about your wholesale strategy?
We are still at the beginning of our wholesale journey. The store and showroom only opened the week before last, but we have big ambitions. We plan to take part in our first trade fairs in Paris and Copenhagen in spring 2026 and are already in discussions with some leading department stores. Nothing is ready yet, but the dynamics are right.
How many point-of-sales do you want your products to offer by the end of 2026?
For 2026, the main focus is on laying the foundation. In particular, it must be ensured that the supply chain can support our expanded distribution. Apart from that, we expect to operate our two flagship stores, potentially three to four pop-up locations in Europe over the course of the year and around ten to 15 wholesale partners.
What distribution of sales are you aiming for between wholesale and direct sales?
We are a direct-to-consumer brand at heart and that will remain our core. However, our own flagship stores and a selective wholesale network will play an important role. In the long term, we are aiming for a split of around 70 percent e-commerce, 20 percent wholesale and ten percent flagship stores. A roadmap that we see developing over the next five to seven years.
Will you also work with online retailers or will you rely entirely on your own online shop?
Potentially with one or two carefully chosen platforms. However, we do not plan to be available everywhere. Any collaboration must be meaningful and mutually beneficial. Our focus is on sustainable, healthy growth, not on broad distribution at any price.
Which markets are doing particularly well in direct sales?
We got off to a very strong start in Central Europe, particularly in Germany, France and the Netherlands. However, in the last two years the USA has grown rapidly and is now one of our most important markets, along with Great Britain.
Where do you want to grow further?
We see growth in two dimensions. Firstly, deepening the connection with our community through physical spaces such as our new flagship store in Amsterdam. These stores are not just points of sale, but meeting places to host events and bring the world of Mikuta to life.
Secondly, we are gradually moving towards becoming a broader lifestyle brand. We have always said that we don’t just design clothes, we share a way of life. Expanding into areas such as home, fragrance and other lifestyle categories feels like a natural extension of this vision. Our focus is to grow organically, in ways that stay true to our DNA of authenticity, timelessness and casualness.
How do you expect to finish 2025?
We are on track to achieve net sales of 25 million euros this year. This is an incredible milestone for us. We just celebrated our six-year anniversary, which I think shows we’re just getting started. The last few years have been intense, but we are proud of what we have built together with our team.
What else do you have planned for 2026?
In 2026, our priority is to further strengthen the core of the brand. This means refining our collection into a focused capsule of timeless pieces that truly represents Mikuta, and expanding our lifestyle vision with initial steps into categories such as Home and Fragrance.
At the same time, we want to further develop our physical brand experience through events, community moments and our growing network of retail spaces. Everything we do in the next year will be guided by what feels authentic to our design language and the world we build around it.
This interview was conducted in writing in English.