Wool as a new summer basic: Amsterdam-based brand Joe Merino aims to grow internationally
Goal of Dutch
menswear label, Joe Merino: expand internationally, a possible increase in
the number of stores in Germany, all the while remaining an online-focused
business. After introducing the third summer collection of Merino polos and
shirts, the Amsterdam-based brand also joined forces with Woolmark to
promote warm-weather wool. FashionUnited spoke with Ron Beckers, co-founder
of the classic wool basics focused label, about the rising cost of wool
goods, future plans of the brand, and advantages of wearing wool in warm
weather.
Why should men wear wool when it’s warm?
It is easy to take care of, machine washable, as well as very soft and
not itchy on the skin. The advantage is that it is very comfortable, cool,
and keeps its’ color and shape. Wool, itself, is antibacterial so it will
smell much less than other fibers. Bacteria will not go into wool fiber, it
will only stay on top of it. You can wear it for a couple of days without
any problem. The best proof of this is in socks. Men can easily wear our
socks for ten days of so. This sounds quite dirty (laughs), but wool
doesn’t need to be washed as often, just hung outside.
How do you achieve this features?
We select specific wool. Thickness of the hair is important; the thinner
the hair is, the less itchy it will be for the wearer. The regular hair
used in products are extra fine with 19.5 micron, we use 15 micron, so it
feels very soft. The only people who cannot wear this or find it itchy
would be those very allergic to wool. The ultra fine spun hair also makes
the material very comfortable for wear in 30 degree temperatures.
Why have you partnered with Woolmark, a non-profit organisation that
conducts research and marketing of wool on behalf of Australian
growers?
Men often think wool isn’t very comfortable and we have to work against
that prejudice. They think it is warm and too itchy. It’s a big challenge
for the wool industry to convince the consumer that wool can be worn in the
summer. That is why we made this video. Wool is already used quite
frequently in the sportswear sector.
The trend to use natural fibers in clothing has increased the use of
wool. At the same time, the trend to veganism is gaining momentum and there
is a rising scrutiny of animal products. Does the recent discussion about
mohair concern you?
We are aware of where we buy our wool and who makes the pullovers. Of
course the wool business is a large one and there will always be things
opening it up to scrutiny or the mistreatment of sheep. There is never have
the opportunity to tell the whole story, some things portrayed by the media
are often sensationalized. For the whole industry there are a lot of things
going right as well; young farmers who take very good care of their
animals.
The demand and use of wool increased in recent years and so did
prices. How has this impacted your business?
One of the big disadvantages of this development is that the wool
prices rising wildly at the moment. The Chinese consumer discovered wool,
especially in heavy coats. Sheep farmers cannot produce that many new sheep
in one year, it takes a couple. But we will also benefit from the high
price because fast-fashion companies will change to cotton, acrylic and
polyesters just to keep the price level for a jumper at 29 euros to 39
euros.
How will this impact the prices of your product?
We have to increase prices. It’s not our intention to pressure our
suppliers. We’re partners with Woolmark. We work with Suedwolle, one of the
biggest spinning companies in the world. In the end, the wool component
makes up, more of less, one third of our production cost. If the wool price
would increase 50 percent, for example, my prices will most likely increase
15 percent.
Wool in the summer:
- The third summer wool collection consists of short and long sleeves
polos, V-neck and round neck shirts, available in six sizes (S to XXXL) and
twelve colors. Prices range from 59 euros for a short sleeve shirt with
v-neck to 89 euros for a polo and long sleeve. The fiber structure of
merino provides permanent ventilation and the shirts also protect against
ultraviolet rays.
You have opened three stores in Amsterdam, Antwerp and also in
Düsseldorf last year — what do you see as the reason for your growth?
We’re dealing with menswear. We’re not really in fashion, but quality.
To be honest, our customers don’t really care about a price increase of ten
euros. They just want to have the same pullover again, same fitting, same
quality. It’s hard to get these consumers because they have their own
favorite labels and own idea of fashion. But if you get them, they’ll be
very loyal as long as you give them good service. We don’t do sales. For
men a sale is a little bit confusing.
Where is there more room for growth? Are you planning more stores in
Germany?
We increase our turnover between 30 to 40 percent each year, and make
profit. 70 percent of our turnover is done online. We’re shipping worldwide
with our British website, but we’re now focussing on the German market.
Now, we have one store in Germany, I think the country is big enough to
open three more, like in Munich, Berlin or Hamburg or Stuttgart. But, we
don’t want to be a chain or retail concept. We want to be an online
supplier. The store is only to give the service, to get the people to know
us, for fitting and feeling the products.
Which are the next countries you’re going to?
We have plans of course. We have our name registered in the United
States, Japan and the rest of Europe. But the first step would be to go to
London, because London is wonderful. People understand wool traditionally.
And London has a lot of buying power, I take a lot of inspiration from the
UK brands, like the very traditional cables.
About the founders:
- Ron Beckers (1961) and Marc Sijtstra (1968) founded Joe Merino in
2011. They met while studying at the Business University Nyenrode, in
Breukelen, Netherlands. Before, Beckers owned his own fashion brand
Bellissima Ron and Sijtstra was one of the founders of market research
agency Effectory.
Do you have plans for more collections?
We’re working on wool coats that are more water resistant. We will do
something with scarves and woven accessories. We’ve been working on pants
for next year. We’re gonna make a fantastic Nordic sweater. We will add
collections, but slowly, so that when people enter the shop, they recognize
the brand and where they are.
Do also have plans for a women line?
At this point we want to focus on the menswear market. Women are kind
of complicated. We tried V-neck for women and then we had a woman coming
into the shop saying ‘What a wonderful quality, do you have the same
pullover in v-neck but just a little bit deeper? Or do you have a cardigan?
Does this match with my skirt?’ A men comes in and says ‘Oh you have this
t-shirt? I’ll take, one, two, three’. I had my womenswear fashion label for
twenty years, I am so relieved that I am not doing this business at the
moment. (laughs)
This article was originally written for FashionUnited.de
Photos: JoeMerino