Dutch brand launches wholesale collection

The Amsterdam label Bonne Suits, founded in 2014, is taking the next step on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. The brand, known for its gender-neutral suits, is now launching a full collection. This strategic shift that comes with entering wholesale feels like a logical step. The founders of Bonne Suits, Bonne Reijn and Justus Cohen Tervaert, emphasize in an interview with FashionUnited: “We don’t want to keep our brand for ourselves.”

What remains unchanged is the brand’s ethos: bringing people together. This happens not only through fashion, but also through various art forms, as can be seen in the Amsterdam store at Warmoesstraat 67. In addition to sales, this place also functions as an art gallery, bookstore and music studio.

‘The Gardener’: Inspired by the story of Mien Ruys

Bonne Suits’ first collection, called “The Gardener,” is an ode to landscape architect Mien Ruys, Reijn’s great-aunt. In the book entitled “Moerheim” you can read how she serves as a muse for the brand. Ruys made gardening accessible to the middle class in the Netherlands by using simple, affordable materials such as railway sleepers and paving stones. Her story inspires Bonne Suits to strive for equal accessibility in fashion.

“The Gardener” consists of 14 complete looks made up of multiple items including shorts, vests and skirts. The colors are red, blue, green, brown, gray and white.

“The Gardener” is the starting point of a series of complete collections. “Work clothes are logical for us,” explains Reijn. “It is universal and fits perfectly with our ideals of equality,” adds Cohen Tervaert. For the next collection, which focuses on carpenters, the brand is already working with an Amsterdam workshop.

With the addition of designer Matty Hofstede to the team, the brand is also focusing on material innovation and more complex designs. “His contribution takes our designs to a higher level,” says Reijn.

The move into wholesale is intended to reach a broader target group, explains Cohen Tervaert. In addition, the brand has prepared to collaborate with new retailers for “The Gardener” collection.

Inspiring retailers for Bonne Suits

When it comes to inspiring retailers, the founders immediately think of a store that no longer exists, but that they have worked with in the past and where Bonne Suits’ suits sold well. “Opening Ceremony in New York was a cultural meeting place with a revolutionary retail concept,” says Reijn. “They offered a unique mix of brands and had a dedicated team that made the store an experience. It was a place you went to be inspired, not to be ripped off.” In addition to Opening Ceremony, Bonne Suits praises stores such as Labor & Wait in London for their focus on timelessness and Traders Pop in Maastricht, a cultural hotspot . “These places embody what we strive for: a mix of culture, sustainability and timeless design,” adds Cohen Tervaert.

Bonne Suits has big ambitions. The brand wants to contribute to a world where clothing represents a universal value. “Imagine: Everyone gets a suit when they pay taxes for the first time, as a symbol of responsibility and equality. Not communism, but ‘communalism'” [eine Gemeinschaft von Menschen mit gemeinsamen Werten, Anm. d. Red.].

By collaborating with retailers, Bonne Suits wants to appeal to a larger customer base. The brand has an international customer base of people who appreciate fashion, but don’t necessarily want to spend all day spending time with fashion. Reijn explains: “Today I sold a suit to a young woman who is studying neurology and just wants to look good without having to think about it for hours. That is exactly the strength of our suits: they are timeless, suitable for everyone and fit everywhere.”