The Dutch fashion store Brandstof Fashion in Amersfoort started in 2018 as a men’s clothing store with the aim of getting Dutch men excited about fashion. The store has since expanded to include a full-fledged women’s fashion department. FashionUnited spoke to founder and CEO Jurriën Jansen about introducing new styles for the Dutch man. It was also about the balance between innovation and a recognizable retail identity.
Mr Jansen, can you tell us briefly about the history of the business?
Brandstof was founded eight years ago as one of the first sustainable clothing stores in Amersfoort. We started with 85 square meters on Leusderweg. This is the access to the city center from the A28 motorway. I wanted to do it differently than the existing offering in the city.
During the Corona pandemic, we have grown enormously through personalization. We delivered orders by bike and people could shop by appointment. This helped us gain a lot of fans. This growth also gave rise to demand for women’s fashion. When a 200 square meter space became available, we and our customers raised fifty thousand euros through crowdfunding to take this step.
Later you also introduced women’s collections. How do you ensure that both departments maintain the same identity?
The basic strategy was to start with our sustainable men’s brands. They also carry women’s collections that match our DNA. This means: no fast-moving trends and a focus on long-lasting products. We started with brands like Knowledge Cotton Apparel, Barbour, Kings of Indigo and Nudie Jeans. That created trust.
We then looked for brands that had a slightly more feminine fit to round out the concept. Preferably those that are not yet very present in the city. The store must be unique.
How do you divide the pre-orders and the post-orders during the season?
When it comes to menswear, we buy niche brands in small quantities to maintain diversity. I no longer want two neighbors to wear the same jacket of ours, as happened in the beginning. Then you lose customers.
A good B2B system is crucial for us. Scandinavian brands have this well under control. It’s more complicated with French, Spanish and Italian brands, so we order less from them.
When it comes to women’s fashion, we are still in the discovery phase. In the beginning, we shopped broadly to find what worked. Above all, we learned that there is a lot of junk on the market. Especially clothing made from plastic and polyester. This is much less the case with men’s collections. Women’s fashion brands are also working more with drops, which I find complicated. Shopping in May for November doesn’t work for me.
What is the mix of new and established brands?
There are three pillars that we have built on for seven years: Barbour, Profuomo and Knowledge Cotton Apparel. That’s why customers keep coming back. If I stopped doing that, the men would be disoriented. We play around that with other brands. Some stay, others disappear after two or three seasons. That’s part of it.
This year, for example, Filson and Baracuta are new and still have to prove themselves. Most of the time these are brands that are thematically related. Like Baracuta, who have already worked with our bestseller Barbour. The same goes for Flower Mountain sneakers. Such collaborations can be easily explained to customers. That makes them interesting for business.
How else do you search for new products?
In addition to new brands, we also look at product innovations. For the last two years I’ve been to ISPO in Munich to look at men’s fashion with new eyes. There you can see that the stiff jacket is becoming less and less important. Functional, comfortable products are taking its place.
Men are going on winter vacation more often again or going for a walk in the forest to walk the dog. So what sells well are clothes that they can wear often. Merino sweaters, for example. I have a sweater in my range – and also in my own closet – that we have been selling successfully for seven years. You hardly have to wash it and it stays beautiful. Such products also suit us.
I see a faster turnaround in women’s fashion. A lot of new things come in, but they also disappear from the collection more quickly. This difference between men and women is huge.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
This is a continuous process. Social media plays a role, but I think the most important thing is to listen to customers. They tell you exactly what works and what doesn’t. I also go to trade fairs and see what’s happening in other cities. Businesses that dare to do more inspire me.
Do you follow trends? And how do you stay authentic?
That depends on whether I think he’s good. I don’t think the ‘travel pants’, for example, are sustainable. Even when everyone starts copying each other, I usually back off. This also applies to concepts like Black Friday. I find the other men’s trousers more exciting. Precisely because there aren’t many men who wear them. If I fill the store with it, it usually works. Men with courage come to us. If others don’t dare, I’ll do it even more.
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