Designer And Owner
Chrandels
After spending a few years working in different organisations mainly working with figures and numbers, I wanted a change, being able to express my creativity and I also wanted to start my own business. A good question: What could I do? I wanted to travel, explore other cultures, to meet like-minded people and to do business in other parts of the world. Market research showed there was an untapped market for eveningwear, especially colored bridal wear. Feasibility study confirmed it. So I did travel around to prepare my business and opened a shop in Belgium. It didn't bring enough fulfillment and soon I also wanted to explore the wholesale business, to be able to B2B. During the years I adjusted my planning and my focus frequently, triggered by changing wholesale markets and changing expectations from my retail customers. The long and personal talks I had with customers in the bridal business have been very inspiring. It resulted in facilitating personal designs. Where markets focused on mass production, I limited the production being able to give full attention to my customers wishes. It is a challenge to be different and make your business unique. I love challenges and surely being unique!Brand Management / Product Development / Import / Export / Sales2001 B2C Market Research, Feasibility Study European Region2002 B2B Importing from US, India, China2002 B2C retail store Tongeren Belgium2003 B2B Establishing Chrandels label, production and import from China 2004 B2B Wholesale exporting to The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France2005 B2B Establishing Production plant in Turkey, brandnames Chrandels and Valmont Bridal2006 B2C Pilot Store Maastricht The Netherlands, facilitating personal designs Chrandels label2007 B2C Co Store in Dreieich (Frankfurt) Germany, facilitating personal designs Valmont Bridal label2008 B2B Export office Hong Kong to ease licenses and export quota2013 B2C Moved facilities to Lanaken Belgium