The Dutch Modefabriek is taken over by Rick van Rijthoven and Lucel van den Hoeven, the founders of the Dutch fashion trade fair Shift. The two have been involved in the trade fair organization since the beginning of Modefabriek and have now acquired the remaining shares in the company, as Van Rijthoven confirmed to FashionUnited. The two industry experts will take over the platform and focus on the further development of the event and its position in the fashion industry.
The acquisition marks a new phase for the Dutch fashion trade fair, which has played a central role in the Dutch fashion industry for decades. Van der Hoeven has been closely associated with the company since its founding. In 1996 he founded Modefabriek together with industry colleagues Rick van Rijthoven and Caroline Krouwels [die nun als Geschäftsführerin ausscheiden wird, Anm. d. Red.] and Anne Claire Petit. In the following years, Modefabriek developed into an important meeting place for fashion brands, retailers and other industry professionals.
Upcoming edition
The next edition of Modefabriek is scheduled for July 5th and 6th, 2026 and will take place again at the Taets Art & Event Park in Zaandam, the Netherlands. For the summer edition, the organization is working with an adapted concept for the trade fair area. The different buildings are closer together, creating a logical route that takes visitors past all participating brands. This emerges from the press release. The outdoor area serves as a central meeting point with space for trend sessions, lectures and networking opportunities for fashion industry professionals.
One step back
In 2020, Van den Hoeven retired from day-to-day management of the organization. After almost 25 years, he handed over management to co-owner Caroline Krouwels. At that time, he stated that he wanted to focus more on developing new ideas and concepts in the industry rather than on the day-to-day management of the organization. However, van den Hoeven remained a shareholder in Modefabriek BV and continued to be involved in the company’s development.
He remained active within the organization with initiatives such as Denim Days. This is an event for the international denim community that emerged from the Modefabriek organization. In addition to the trade fair itself, other activities such as the event agency Company C are also part of Modefabriek BV.
Caroline Krouwels leaves position as CEO
After Caroline Krouwels took over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the organization behind Modefabriek was also adjusted. During and after the pandemic, she decided on a more compact trade fair concept and a more efficient organization. The team was reduced in size and the internal processes and IT systems were modernized. The exhibition area was also redesigned, with lower, simpler stands and a clearer layout.
In addition, the fashion factory introduced new elements. This includes collaborations with initiatives such as The Fashion Gallery, a platform for young designers through the Young Entrepreneurs Platform (YEP) and a stronger focus on sustainability with ‘The Sustainable Stop’. In return, however, the men’s fashion segment was eliminated.
Krouwels is now leaving Modefabriek as CEO, but will remain with the company in an advisory role. She returns to her work as a designer. Van Rijthoven will take over her duties.
Shift
A few years ago, Van den Hoeven and Van Rijthoven launched Shift, a new men’s fashion trade fair. The event took place several times in Zaandam and moved to Amsterdam last January. The first German edition is scheduled to take place in June, which will focus on womenswear in addition to menswear. This concept will now also be adopted for the Dutch version. Shift and Modefabriek will also work more closely together, as Van Rijthoven confirmed on Monday.
With the new ownership structure, two of the original initiators are clearly returning to the top of the platform.
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