Veronique Branquinho

[laika]

Budding Belgian fashion-design star Veronique Branquinho will close her eleven-year-old label after a steep decline in orders for fall and numerous canceled orders and nonpayments for the spring collection. The label had about 50 wholesale clients and one stand-alone store in Antwerp, where merchandise should go on clearance pretty soon. Branquinho herself has another gig, as the new artistic director of Belgian leather-goods brand Delvaux. But this is sad news — and just a day after Christian Lacroix effectively filed for bankruptcy. Who will the economy claim next?
Veronique Branquinho to Liquidate [WWD]


{via nymag.com}

 

[retailqueen]

the recession is hitting fashion hard. thing just got real.

 

[Scott]

NO!

and just after she just celebrated her 10th anniversary.

 

[happyguy]

this is horrible...

 

[Jambakindy]

She went out so silently! It's just awful. Maybe when the world has money again she will reopen.

 

[wheneveriwakeup]

I am so sadden by this news....
She is so immensely talented and one of the few designers who has kept a consistent POV over the yrs....
I am sure she will find work elsewhere... perhaps a creative director position??

Best of luck to her in this difficult time....

 

[Navygreen]

Noooo I love VB

 

[Fabulyss]

Yeah well I'm unemployed too where's my sympathy? ...but I was indeed a huge fan of hers I have to admit.

 

[leyla m.]

just like Lacroix, this is the terrible truth!!!!!
very sad, bt i hope this is a wake up call to all designer out there whether established or the newer ones.. you simply CANNOT rely on your reputation and need to adjust to the climate. that includes being HUMBLE, be present at buyers appointments to listen to the reasons WHY something is NOT selling and what would be selling.
nowadays, designers sit back in their chair once the collection is made whereas the cycle continues UNTIL the garment is sold to the end customer so if anything they should be involved as much as possible to learn from mistakes and improve...

 

[disco54]

i think i need a drink first lacroix now this whose next ??The sucky designers like alexander wang stay soo not fair !

 

[Scott]

but leyla that's what is ironic....here you have a designer who was able counter-balance that humble quality,e.g. commerce,with creativity. she made clothes not mere fashion.

 

[La bordélique]

This is so unfair!

 

[kaschemme]

This is such a sad news.
I love her work so much.

I hope she will be back very soon.

 

[leyla m.]

true scott even though i have to admit i have not been following her work lately.
i was just having a rant as i am face to face with designers all the time and some very bluntly tell you they dont wanna change. whether it sells or not, many do not care.
it is very very frustrating and unless they have great management they DO go down eventually.
specially this season, a couple of my designers have gone 'missing' or have simply given up altogether

one thing is for sure, her sunglasses SELL OUT ... no kidding, customers keep asking for more...

i do hope she manages to re emerge at some point!


ETA
she must have had a weakness for it to get to this point.
if the collections were good and sellable then the company probably lacked somewhere else?!

 

[Scott]

i think it just shows no matter how safe no one is immune to this appalling climate.

 

[Fabulyss]

^Yeah with regard for the whole humble thing I have yet to meet a single humble person in the fashion industry. In fact, it appears as though the most aggressive, arrogant, & flippant workers get the furthest (from what I've observed anyway, I wish I was kidding).

 

[Scott]

well that's really one of the treasures of branquinho and all belgians really. she has this willingness to allow her work to tell it's own story. there was always a modesty about she and her work that i admired. she refrained from the spotlight as much as she could and injected this sad world with a little integrity.

 

[kiddokiddo]

^^Very true, Scott. I echo that sentiment. It's a sad news for me since she's always been one of my fav Belgian talents.

 

[GBArt]

From what I've seen, her work really looks great. Does she have her own thread?

 

[mikeijames]

one can't blame high street for a loss like this. when an insider-y label like this one goes down, it's the fashion constabulary that's to blame. it's not enough to admire what a designer does on a runway, one has to vote at the cash register.

thankfully, we won't lose her completely. i'm sure she'll continue mastery at delvaux. that brand has enough iconography to go after the marketshare of the goyards of the world.