Modern Fashion: Frederieke van Doorn of FREY On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
…Open, inclusive communication. Invite your sales team into the world of design, let the production be part of the brand’s bigger picture. This encourages the whole team to have a much better understanding of everyone’s role and how we can all work together to achieve our common goals.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Frederieke van Doorn, Founder & CEO of FREY.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
I was born and raised in the Netherlands. From a very young age I was interested in fashion. I often played dress up and put together fashion shows for my parents and friends. As I got older I always dreamed of having my own store or maybe working as a buyer. After thoroughly enjoying my first internship in production in Tunisia, I knew I wanted to move forward in production. I completed my education and moved to China for 12 years where I had my two kids before moving to Hong Kong.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
I studied fashion in Amsterdam after school. I loved the whole process, design, production, sales, etc. Understanding the whole process from start to finish is very important.
Looking at what led me to start working in women’s fashion — after spending many years working in men’s tailoring, I started to realize that women simply did not have the same high-quality formal wear options available to them. When moving to Hong Kong from China, I did my research and asked many women where they shop for work wear or formal tailored pieces and there was no clear answer. There are so many women, who are required to dress formally in their place of work, however, there have been very limited choices available.
At FREY. I have a very talented Head Designer, Yuli Tlilli. She truly makes my dreams come true. I share my ideas and what I want, we work through together, and Yuli then works her creative magic. It’s an incredible process, I love it and truly value my team.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I started right at the bottom; sewing, cutting, and steaming in a very hot factory in China, and this process was done on repeat. I lived and breathed fabric, design, prints. This was a very male dominated industry and I wanted to prove I was just as good, if not better than any man. This was no easy feat, nobody listened to me. I remember after a laborious 8 months one of the factory owners said to me: “I no longer see you as a woman, but as a man,” and this was such a compliment. Today he is one of my best friends.
I pride myself on having the expertise and skills to tailor the best suit for both females and males. We are successful as a company because I understand and can manage the full process of tailoring a suit, and formal garments.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Passion — Make sure you love what you do. If you love it, it will not feel like work, but rather daily achievement towards reaching your dream.
Purpose — You cannot be money driven, but rather purpose-driven. Ask yourself over and over, why do I want to do this, and your answer will drive you to move forward each day.
Flexibility — Are you adaptable and flexible? Owning your own business (especially in covid times) requires you to change direction quickly and effectively.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
There is currently no fashion brand that is dedicated to women’s tailoring and offers tailoring as the core business. Exquisite craftsmanship truly sets us apart and we are dedicated to designing excellently tailored classics that come in a wide variety of sizes and are fashionable for women of any age.
We pride ourselves on fit and choice.
For many women, it is difficult to purchase clothing that fits their body shape perfectly. FREY. offers a wide variety of sizes, and if a customer needs, we have an in-house tailor who can alter the Off the Rack piece to fit exactly. Alternatively, you can Create Your Own garments, where we take exact measurements and work through material choices to tailor garments for the customer.
When it comes to formal workwear, choice is also extremely limited, often women turn to navy and black and wearing the same darker pieces day-in, and day out can become rather mundane. You wear your work clothes for 60 or 70 hours a week and you don’t even like them — this is what drives me. We want our customers to feel empowered in their workwear, and design a variety of colors, patterns, and styles. From basics to the more bold, we can assure women style and comfort in both their workplace and everyday living.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
For me it is very important to build this brand, company together as a team. If you cannot share, you will not be able to multiply. FREY. is still very young, but in the future I want to involve more key people in the company.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Women are seeking suits to wear well beyond the office, and they want the suit to feel easy, effortless and very comfortable. We offer all that and more.
Comfort is king and pairing any suit or formal piece with a pair of stylish sneakers is at the forefront of fashion.
Trends signify a specific look, that is spread across a population, for a short period of time. At the moment, we see a new intake on the 90s everywhere, showcasing everything from sleek silhouettes and heavy glam looks to color blocking and powerful suits. For us, although vintage garments are always a point of inspiration, the reflection of current affairs and seeing real women at work is more significant than a short-lasting trend. Comfort and style are enduring.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
- Empowering more women to feel more confident in their everyday — especially in the working world.
- FREY. has discovered ways to work with the best quality materials, while adding minimum pressure on mother nature.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
From the get-go our aim has been to do better. Better (much better) tailoring for women, but also better, more eco-friendly ways of working to save our planet. There is a long way to go, but we take our contribution to transforming the global fashion industry very seriously. FREY. will continue to make sustainable choices when and where we can — consciously striving to improve, for you and for our environment.
FREY. has discovered ways to work with the best quality materials, while adding minimum pressure on mother nature.
Deadstock
Our high-quality fabrics come from the most reputable Italian mills. These mills have millions of meters of unsold fabric referred to as ‘deadstock’. We buy this deadstock to produce our garments. In this way we can work with the best quality fabrics without causing the pollution of a new production.
Natural Materials
We use natural materials only and stay away from any fibers that could outlive you and future generations. We use pure wool, cotton, silk, linen, and cashmere and often a combination of the materials together. Ultimately, we want our garments to look and feel their best on you, knowing you will shine your brightest when what’s inside is pure.
Re-purposing fabrics
Even though we work as efficiently as possible with small-scale productions, sometimes we have leftovers of a seasonal print. We can’t use an old print in a new collection so we re-purpose the fabric by overdying it so it can be used as lining in our jackets. We also use the leftover fabric in other parts of a new collection to reduce waste as much as possible.
Buttons
Instead of plastic buttons we use buttons regenerated from shells and nuts. Our mother of pearl shell buttons are made from the inner layers of oyster shells. While their color is natural, they come in different shades, celebrating nature’s diversity.
The nut buttons in our collections are called Corozo Buttons (also known as Tagua or Ivory nut). Naturally white, they can be dyed in many colors. These nut buttons are increasingly used in the fashion industry as they are much more eco-friendly than plastic buttons.
We also use eco-conscious packaging solutions.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
FREY. is on a lifelong mission to educate women on building a sustainable wardrobe comprised of timeless classics that can be mixed and matched for years. We work very hard to source sustainable materials of the highest quality and create sustainable designs that can be enjoyed season after season.
Our suit and coat fabrics are sourced from Italy and made from natural materials. A piece made from natural materials feels and fits better but is also everlasting ensuring the garment is enjoyed season after season.
To line our jackets, we use canvas and horsehair to create the perfect shape to fit a woman’s body. This is very common in men’s tailoring, but very rarely used in women’s tailoring. From the basics to the colorful classics, our pieces are tailored luxury — answering the clothing needs of working women globally. Our collections are curations of versatile feminine styles with playful details for every mood and every schedule.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
- There is always a solution to every problem. Nothing is impossible. There might be a lot of trials and errors, but we learn from these mistakes, and this allows us to move forward.
- Don’t take everything so seriously. I’m a perfectionist, but it doesn’t all have to be perfect.
- Understand who your customer is and the customer’s needs and wants
- Open, inclusive communication. Invite your sales team into the world of design, let the production be part of the brand’s bigger picture. This encourages the whole team to have a much better understanding of everyone’s role and how we can all work together to achieve our common goals.
- Have fun together.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Transparency is key. The fashion industry needs to be held accountable by ensuring all parts of the creation and production process are transparent to help customers make better, more informed decisions.
So much more can and should be done to establish a more circular fashion industry. Producing sustainable fashion is a long-term journey. FREY. is part of this journey and we make a conscious effort every day to make better, more informed choices for a brighter tomorrow.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I am passionate about women’s rights. I believe this stems from my years spent living in China. I know firsthand the fight women must endure to be heard and valued.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Website: www.Frey-tailored.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frey.tailored/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/80924769/admin/
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Frederieke van Doorn of FREY On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.