Woman Behind the Brand
After a flash career in which she filled all the jobs that young girls dream of (she was a stylist for Cosmopolitan, head designer of an accessory brand, head designer of a jeans brand, creative at an advertising agency), she has found the job where everything comes together; head designer of clothing brand MEXX. ‘MEXX is the brand I admired as a young girl when I couldn't even fit the clothes. Bringing the fun and energy of that time into the brand is my mission.’
What is your first memory of MEXX?
‘In Tilburg, there was a store where MEXX was sold, I lingered around it when I was twelve because I was so captivated by the colors, the freshness, the happy feeling of the brand. When I was fifteen, I started working there. Just for free, because I enjoyed it so much. If that girl from back then had only known she would later become the head designer...’
Simone, I share your love for MEXX. As a young girl, I was into Emanuelle and Moustache, so French and playful, and for me, it breathed summer. Looking back now, these brands, which later merged into MEXX, were ahead of their time, especially regarding inclusivity in campaigns. Do you feel the same way?
‘Absolutely agree, I want to show that energy, that colorfulness again. Love for yourself and for each other is also very important to me. So really celebrating love together, and I want to reflect that in the collection.’
Many designers of large brands, including MEXX, draw inspiration from the ‘heritage’ of their brand. How do you do that and how do you continue to innovate?
‘The heritage is central to me. There is a book by Rattan (Rattan Chadha is the founder of MEXX who came to Amsterdam as a 25-year-old boy from Delhi with only a thousand euros in his pocket and later grew it into a multimillion-dollar company, MM) in which he explains all the puzzle pieces that make up MEXX. He went to Amsterdam as a young man and describes his feelings about that experience. My first two collections also breathe that: My first love Amsterdam.’
Browsing through your – by the way, particularly delightful – CV shows that you had this job before, but it didn't work out then because you were too young and not yet considered an adult. A case of ‘peaking too early’?
‘Ab-so-lutely. I was 24 or 25 and was a concept designer for XX By MEXX. I had my background in textiles, but I was very young. I was there with my hair standing up with women who were already mothers and had been in the industry for much longer. I just wasn't ready for it yet. Then I thought: let's start from the bottom, and I ultimately became better for it.’
How does it feel to have that position now? Almost like a childhood romance that you eventually marry?
‘I find it a party to put MEXX back on the map, with a marketing & art director who is just as crazy as I am. It goes on 24 hours a day with ideas and silhouettes. I wouldn't want to do it any other way; it has to flow, with nice people. Otherwise, I think it's a waste of my time. It's a warm bath, and then it's not a problem to work sixty hours a week. So we are once again going for love and for the silver wedding!’
What also struck me in your CV are actually two things. One: that your love for fashion, styling, creating something was already so clear as a child, and two: that when you do something you enjoy, you can rise above yourself. You called yourself a cut-and-paste girl with a secondary school diploma who grew into a stylist with a master's degree. What would you like to pass on to young women and girls?
‘I also tell my own children: follow your heart. I have become strong by doing things I really enjoyed. And also an important lesson: choose your battles, don't engage in fights you are going to lose. Put your energy into what will have an effect.’
We already talked about the playful and cheerful aspect of MEXX; if you could name five core values of this brand, what would they be?
‘Smart casual, city-driven but in a casual way. With our smart casual line, you can make a lot of diverse combinations. Comfort, you need to be able to move in a dress, affordable, we are at the top end of the mid-range. The clash, that belongs to the handwriting: a quintessentially feminine dress with that all-time favorite denim jacket. The last core value is spontaneity. I want the woman, the man, and of course the children to shine. Laughing and celebrating life and love. I do that by, for example, placing a label on the inside of a pair of shorts with the text: ‘It Started With a Kiss.’
Spring is peeking around the corner, what items do you think will become your bestsellers?
‘I am very proud of the new denim line that is affordable and fits fantastically, and I want to invest a lot of time and energy in that. Our suits are produced in factories where the real high-end suits are made. They are slightly higher in price, but the quality is great. So the ratio is right. This season we have a beautiful white suit, so beautiful it makes you drool. Then I also think our basics are very good, just that rolled-up sleeve or the XX's embroidered in, and of course those lovely dresses that are also comfortable.’
And finally: where can we find all your creations?
‘We are putting everything online; almost the entire collection can be found there. We started with 40 doors for the summer, and for the fall/winter, we are going to 100. In addition, we are going to open our own stores in Ukraine, Greece, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Guatemala, so a lot is going to happen. But online you can find us anyway.’
Image: photographer Paul Bellaart
