Born March 4, 1957 in Ypres (Belgium), it was Edward Vermeulen Dubbed the “crowned designer”, he has been fascinated – from the very beginning – by the lines of architecture and the aesthetics of buildings.
After graduating as an architect from the University of St. Luke Belgian, he presented his first creations in design and decoration in the early eighties. On the same floor where he lived, was the fashion designer Paul Nathan He displays his own collections. In 1983, when Paul Nathan retired, Edward Vermeulan, who was very sensitive to the concept of respect and transmission of content, retained the “NATHANPaul Nathan’s loyal clientele kept coming back to the workshop; To please them, he rose Edward Vermeulen Developing his growing passion for fashion. Building on the artisanal heritage of the place, he in turn began creating couture pieces.
Wedding dress of Queen Mathilde of Belgium, designed by Dar NATHAN
Then develop Edward Vermeulen His sharp vision of fashion is both classic and sophisticated, creating a strong identity of his own.
In 1984, he designed a capsule collection for an ordinary charity evening, behind which was the president of the association, Paula, Queen of Belgium, who helped launch the young Belgian house within the European Gotha.
Honoring the Belgian creator Edward Vermeulen
During the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023 week, Dar “NATHANHolding an exhibition in Otel Crillon On 8th avenue in Paris, presenting the Spring-Summer 2023 Couture collection.
The collection denotes a shimmering, radiant summer that creates a transformation that brings a new, refined energy. designer Vermeulen، Who plays with shapes, interprets the summer palette in different forms, sometimes bi-color, and sometimes triptych, with touches of brilliance flowing from decorations and accessories.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands wears designer fashion NATHAN
In an elegant brown dress with the late Queen Elizabeth in Ascot
With her husband, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
With Kate Middleton and Prince William, Queen Máxima wore a hat designed by the house NATHAN
An-Nahar went to the exhibition and met the designer of Queens of Europe Edward Vermeulen. He is not an ordinary person. He is an outspoken man, who calls things by their proper names, and enjoys the pinnacle of sophistication and good taste.
Colleague Fadia Khozam Al-Salibi with the designer Edward Vermeulen
we asked:
How did you gain the trust of Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands?
I have known them for 25 years. I had the honor of designing their wedding dresses, and as a result, the relationship was characterized by trust and harmony.
Dar Gallery NATHAN (photo)
How would you describe their tastes and style?
Without a doubt, there is a big difference; The Queen of Belgium belongs to northern Europe, and Maxima, Queen of the Netherlands, is southern; By southern, I mean that its origins go back to South America, as its birthplace is Argentina, specifically Buenos Aires. So there is a difference in skin, in colors, but the two queens love fashion according to their schedules, with the effects of social networking sites on them, as passing through boutiques is no longer enough to follow fashion and trends.
Are they required?
No, they are two queens who live in the real world, and my task is to help them choose and know everything new; I design for them their wardrobes of clothes for celebrations and travel, and all the details that fall within the daily scope.
Princesses of the Middle East
You are the designer of the majority of the queens and princesses of Europe. Have you tried to communicate with the princesses of the Middle East?
Not quite, because our main location is in Brussels, but today we started opening boutiques and showrooms in fashion capitals, especially in Paris, and we found that among our potential customers are people from the Middle East. Moreover, we are in touch with the Jordanian royal family; One of the king’s sisters always comes to us, and we have princesses from the Middle East who come to the boutique when they come to Paris. The majority of these go to Paris more than London. There is no doubt that Western women adopt simplicity more than Middle Eastern women. In Paris, there are roles that only work for women, but I believe that the new generation in this part of the world has begun to abandon this pattern.
between architecture and fashion
You studied architecture, but you chose sewing as a profession, why?
When I was a student in architecture, I rented an apartment, and on the same floor there was a house NATHAN For fashion, but I think I wasn’t 100 percent interested in this field. However, coexistence with this house gave me the desire to own it and to work on its historical continuity. I continued practicing the two professions for a period ranging between six months and a year, and then I decided following that to go to haute couture and ready-to-wear.
How did you learn this art?
When we love decoration and architecture, we also love fashion, because it is a kind of engineering. We build the costume, choose the color, the material, the design. Before implementation, there are a lot of similarities between decoration and fashion.
How do you look at haute couture today?
Haute couture today is excessive, extravagant and out of touch with reality. But it is this that inspires young designers. Although I consider it a creative art, we have to make it relevant to reality. There is always a problem with prices in haute couture, so make sure to make it within the reach of the elegant lady without paying an exorbitant amount. There is no doubt that I understand that big houses devote intense hours to executing a single dress, but I try to implement contemporary tailoring that allows women to wear a couture dress within reach.
You are currently surrounded by young designers, do they embody your ideas or theirs?
I believe that every house that wants to remain young should seek the help of young designers, who have a new vision regarding haute couture, and a realistic vision of what people need; Expensive dresses are no longer reserved for parties. For less important occasions, there is a new style. The perception of elegance has changed, although in the Middle East it is still mostly prevalent, but in the West the matter has changed. Today, these young men are thinking from this standpoint: What does a woman expect from the Haute Couture collection? If she is in her fifties, does she want an evening dress that represents a dream and is wearable? And if we want to address the next generation, we have to think regarding all of these things and surround ourselves with young designers.
How would you describe your style?
For me, femininity is the most important thing, and style should not be limited to one season. I focus on the fine details, on the sobriety of the piece, on the transcendence of women, and on the piece being worn and not for show.
Here is the role of embroidery in Dar NATHAN؟
Embroidery is a very important element in haute couture, but labor costs a lot here, not like in the Middle East. I see embroidered collections like those of Elie Saab. I consider him the archetype of someone who creates beautiful clothes.
Dar group NATHAN Couture Spring-Summer 2023 (Video and Photos)
