Heavy news for the Belgian fashion world. The founder of luxury fashion brand Maison Ullens, Myriam Ullens de Schooten Whettnall, died on March 29, confirms a statement from the Belgian luxury fashion brand.
Ullens de Schooten Whettnall is said to have been shot dead in front of her home by her stepson Nicolas U., according to the Walloon Brabant public prosecutor’s office. Ullens de Schooten Whettnall had been at odds with Nicolas U for years. The founder of Maison Ullens was shot at several times at close range, according to Belgian prosecutors. When the rescue workers arrived, she was already dead. The reason for the crime is still unclear. The suspect was arrested and interrogated yesterday afternoon.
About Myriam Ullens and her fashion house
In 1993, Ullens de Schooten Whettnall, together with her husband Guy Ullens, founded an educational program in Nepal: the Ullens School, which doubled as an orphanage, care and education center. After surviving cancer in 2003, Ullens de Schooten Whettnall set up a foundation working on cancer research in eight French, Belgian and Swiss hospitals. In 2011, the entrepreneur founded Maison Ullens.
She founded Maison Ullens to fill “the lack of luxurious alternatives for a sleek, comfortable travel wardrobe”. Since 2012, the Belgian fashion house has been creating timeless, sophisticated wardrobes for the cosmopolitan traveller. Over the years, the luxury fashion brand has opened several of its own boutiques, including in Paris, New York and Aspen.
Earlier this year Christian Wijnants was appointed as the new creative director of Maison Ullens. The Belgian is known for his handmade knitwear, feminine silhouettes and nature-inspired prints. Wijnants didn’t have to think long before accepting the offer. “The deal was made quickly,” Wijnants says in an interview with FashionUnited.
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.nl.