Store du Nord
Store du Nord puts fashion makers on a pedestal
Menswear with an eye for makers, nature and quality. Jeroen de Wal is turning the fashion industry on its head with his shop Store du Nord. "I show the other side of the industry," he says.
DATE
23 November 2021
TEXT
Jasper Gramsma
IMAGE
Brian Mul
Store du Nord
Store du Nord puts fashion makers on a pedestal
Menswear with an eye for makers, nature and quality. Jeroen de Wal is turning the fashion industry on its head with his shop Store du Nord. "I show the other side of the industry," he says.
The Noordeinde awakens and relaxing jazz sounds from the speakers of Store du Nord at number 49. Jackets and jumpers in subdued but distinguished colours hang from the robust, metal pipes. On the concrete floor lived-in Persians, on the wall raw billboards of legendary British clothing brand Barbour International. "I painstakingly screwed them on, so they will never go away," laughs boyish owner and seasoned fashion man Jeroen de Wal.
'I wanted to do better, make a difference'
Everything in the menswear shop oozes craft, and that is exactly the intention. "After 20 years in the management of international fashion companies, I wanted to do things completely differently: do it better, make a difference," De Wal says enthusiastically. "No longer in that machinery of margins, speed and numbers at the expense of working conditions, sustainability and craftsmanship. Now I actually put the makers on a pedestal, because I value tradition and innovation. To fashion trends I do not conform."
Jeroen de Wal does not conform to fashion trends.
When De Wal opened his shop in 2019, he could finally engage with the passionate but often unknown makers about whom he blogged in his spare time. "Many of them I have met. This shop is a platform for me to show that side of the industry. I explain why they choose certain constructions, what fabrics they use and how the clothes are made."
'It's more my home where I tell you about my passion'
Actually, as far as he is concerned, Store du Nord is not a typical shop. "It's more my home where I tell you about my passion," he says.
Among the samples of traditional craftsmanship are items from Beijing-based atelier Motiv Mfg. "China has a negative image when it comes to clothing, but very beautiful things are also made there; the country has thousands of years of textile history!"
'This shop is a platform for me to showcase that side of the industry.'
Motiv Mfg is among the very best, according to De Wal. "The team consists of five specialist designers. They process the most exclusive woven fabrics from Europe. In doing so, they use only original patterns from the period 1900-1950."
Details
The results are jackets and trousers with a silhouette that is as nostalgic as it is simple. Only at second glance do you notice the sophisticated details that betray the master's hand. "Although it is a ready-to-wear collection, the pieces are put together as bespoke pieces. For example, the jackets are 'full canvas' and the sleeves are made a fraction longer especially for the Dutch market," De Wal explains. Then proudly, "In 2022, the team will come to our shop for a tailoring session."
Norwegian Rain
When it comes to innovation, the label Norwegian Rain, of which Store du Nord is the only Dutch outlet, is the pinnacle. De Wal: "In terms of technology, they are at the forefront. For their waterproof overcoats, they have a fabric manufacturer that works in a circular way. The water-repellent layer already consists of 95 per cent non-harmful fabrics, and this development continues to reduce the impact on the environment even further. For the same reason, they work virtually without stocks."
Store du Nord
Store du Nord has the European first with the Indi + Ash brand. "A very special story," sums up De Wal. "I got in touch with a designer from New York who works with an Indian hand-weaving family. They use a cotton crop that gets its minimum amount of required moisture directly from the air. This makes irrigation unnecessary. In addition, the family uses only natural dyes from indigo, ash and iron." More sustainable, you might say.
De Wals's greatest love may be for denim.
De Wals's greatest love may be for denim. "Especially Japanese," he specifies. "I have been to weaving mills there where fabric is still made with old-fashioned machines. Wonderful to see how that knowledge is passed on." These "raw denims" end up at Store du Nord via small-scale makers such as Spain's Companion ("just the very best") and Japan's Momotaro ("cult for the purist"), in the form of jeans. "
Because they dare to experiment, they end up innovating the whole industry."
HAPPY
In his idealism, the entrepreneur is by no means alone. "Fortunately, people are buying more and more consciously and the interest in the origin of clothes is growing. In the beginning, I had mostly expats and tourists as customers, but now Dutch people also know their way around. People are simply fed up with mediocre quality," he concludes with satisfaction.
text Jasper Gramsma image Brian Mul
The Noordeinde awakens and relaxing jazz sounds from the speakers of Store du Nord at number 49. Jackets and jumpers in subdued but distinguished colours hang from the robust, metal pipes. On the concrete floor lived-in Persians, on the wall raw billboards of legendary British clothing brand Barbour International. "I painstakingly screwed them on, so they will never go away," laughs boyish owner and seasoned fashion man Jeroen de Wal.
'I wanted to do better, make a difference'
Everything in the menswear shop oozes craft, and that is exactly the intention. "After 20 years in the management of international fashion companies, I wanted to do things completely differently: do it better, make a difference," De Wal says enthusiastically. "No longer in that machinery of margins, speed and numbers at the expense of working conditions, sustainability and craftsmanship. Now I actually put the makers on a pedestal, because I value tradition and innovation. To fashion trends I do not conform."
Jeroen de Wal does not conform to fashion trends.
When De Wal opened his shop in 2019, he could finally engage with the passionate but often unknown makers about whom he blogged in his spare time. "Many of them I have met. This shop is a platform for me to show that side of the industry. I explain why they choose certain constructions, what fabrics they use and how the clothes are made."
'It's more my home where I tell you about my passion'
Actually, as far as he is concerned, Store du Nord is not a typical shop. "It's more my home where I tell you about my passion," he says.
Among the samples of traditional craftsmanship are items from Beijing-based atelier Motiv Mfg. "China has a negative image when it comes to clothing, but very beautiful things are also made there; the country has thousands of years of textile history!"
'This shop is a platform for me to showcase that side of the industry.'
Motiv Mfg is among the very best, according to De Wal. "The team consists of five specialist designers. They process the most exclusive woven fabrics from Europe. In doing so, they use only original patterns from the period 1900-1950."
Details
The results are jackets and trousers with a silhouette that is as nostalgic as it is simple. Only at second glance do you notice the sophisticated details that betray the master's hand. "Although it is a ready-to-wear collection, the pieces are put together as bespoke pieces. For example, the jackets are 'full canvas' and the sleeves are made a fraction longer especially for the Dutch market," De Wal explains. Then proudly, "In 2022, the team will come to our shop for a tailoring session."
Norwegian Rain
When it comes to innovation, the label Norwegian Rain, of which Store du Nord is the only Dutch outlet, is the pinnacle. De Wal: "In terms of technology, they are at the forefront. For their waterproof overcoats, they have a fabric manufacturer that works in a circular way. The water-repellent layer already consists of 95 per cent non-harmful fabrics, and this development continues to reduce the impact on the environment even further. For the same reason, they work virtually without stocks."
Store du Nord
Store du Nord has the European first with the Indi + Ash brand. "A very special story," sums up De Wal. "I got in touch with a designer from New York who works with an Indian hand-weaving family. They use a cotton crop that gets its minimum amount of required moisture directly from the air. This makes irrigation unnecessary. In addition, the family uses only natural dyes from indigo, ash and iron." More sustainable, you might say.
De Wals's greatest love may be for denim.
De Wals's greatest love may be for denim. "Especially Japanese," he specifies. "I have been to weaving mills there where fabric is still made with old-fashioned machines. Wonderful to see how that knowledge is passed on." These "raw denims" end up at Store du Nord via small-scale makers such as Spain's Companion ("just the very best") and Japan's Momotaro ("cult for the purist"), in the form of jeans. "
Because they dare to experiment, they end up innovating the whole industry."
HAPPY
In his idealism, the entrepreneur is by no means alone. "Fortunately, people are buying more and more consciously and the interest in the origin of clothes is growing. In the beginning, I had mostly expats and tourists as customers, but now Dutch people also know their way around. People are simply fed up with mediocre quality," he concludes with satisfaction.
