‘“It’s not that hard to create a hype, it’s hard to maintain it.”
Tell us, who is Fabienne?
“I’m Fabienne and I’ve been working on Fabienne Chapot for 16 years now. It was founded in 2006 and at the time the brand was still called Fab. These were bags, wallets, and eventually also shoes. In 2015 I felt that the brand had huge potential, and up until then I had continuously reinvested my own money. At that time, I still had two dreams:
Dream 1: To turn it into a much more professional brand, also thinking about the entire back end of the company. We had a small group of people employed, but everyone was wearing many hats. I felt it had to become more professional, because I was also growing as a person. By then I was 34 years old.
Dream 2: I really wanted to move into clothing. I had never started with clothing, because I didn’t study fashion. I went to university, and I think I sort of hang in between. On the one hand I have the aesthetic eye, and on the other hand that business sense. So, I’m not a designer who only draws all day. I really sit in between, and I think that’s why I was able to run it for so long with just a small team.
After 9 years I started looking for an investor. I realized I needed external funding to take those steps. I sold 30% of the company and with that investment we really strengthened the teams in certain key positions, hired people at a higher level, and launched our first clothing collection (SS17). These were the animal prints, including the lobster print.
So we really came in with a statement, and it went very well. But then came the hard part: it’s not that hard to create a hype, it’s hard to maintain it. Especially at brand level! For example, we also had to start making plain products, because you can’t sell only prints. We’ve worked very hard on this over the past few years.
And besides the collection, there’s the entire back end of the company: deliveries, sustainability, cash control, and so much more. It’s very difficult, but also a lot of fun!”
How has 2022 been for you so far?
“Actually really good! We know that we’ll end up at around +30% growth compared to last year. So things are going very well! We also feel what others in the market are feeling. Retail is booming, but online—even though we’re growing—we had higher expectations. That’s mainly because last year people bought so much online, and now you see that people prefer shopping physically again.
This year we opened two new stores, in The Westfield Mall and in Breda. In Germany we also opened two new offices, so now we have our own wholesale team there. That’s also growing strongly—we’re in KDW (Kaufhaus des Westens) and Breuninger.
Of course, we’ve also faced setbacks: the dollar is now very expensive, we had ships stuck at sea for five weeks because they couldn’t dock, products delivered far too late, and rising prices. In short, we’ve had the same blows that other entrepreneurs have, but nevertheless we’re still pushing through. I’m a very satisfied entrepreneur this year!”
What are you most proud of?
“When I started with clothing, almost everyone advised me against it. I got a lot of questions like: ‘Are you really going to do that?’ and ‘There’s already so much out there!’ But something in me said I had to do this. I think I’m proud that I actually managed to claim a substantial spot in the market, and that we really are different from the others.”
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
“Our two biggest focus points are building our brand and Germany. We have such beautiful brand values, and we want to show them much more! Germany needs to become our second market, and we’re really excited about that.”
How has EK Fashion been of service to you in the past period?
“I find it super interesting to see where we still have opportunities. Things I can also learn from! EK has also helped us to get in somewhere—purchasing, budgeting, and advice that I should give something a chance. For us as a company it was also a professional step to be affiliated with them. Thanks to EK I can actually see the profitability per article from past seasons. It goes so deep into the numbers, and that’s very valuable to us.”
What are you doing in terms of sustainability?
“There is an enormous amount to do. We’ve had Geertje van Bavel working with us for six months now, and she’s truly our Head of Sustainability. I’m really happy that there’s someone fully focused on sustainability. Of course, she’s not doing it alone—we all have to work on this across departments.
Our goal is to be B Corp certified by the end of 2023. That’s a certification across the entire breadth of a company—not only the materials you use, but also living wages, transparency, and diversity within the team. It has to be top of mind in every team, and I think we’re really making progress there.
Our upcoming summer collection is made of 50% sustainable materials. That increases every time, and we’re also going to wash our denim 100% sustainably.”
photo: Westfield mall | Fabienne Chapot boutique
About Fabienne Chapot
We are Fabienne Chapot, a fashion brand since 2006, born and raised in Amsterdam. We are known for our in-house handmade prints, rich colors, feminine silhouettes, and cheerful chic details. We love strong stories and a positive vibe!
Website www.fabiennechapot.nl | Instagram @fabiennechapot | Facebook @fabiennechapot