In the sometimes noisy world of fashion, Édouard Vermeulen has been cultivating quiet elegance for over 40 years. At the helm of Maison Natan, founded in Brussels in 1930, this Belgian designer has established a refined vision of luxury, characterized by restraint and subtlety. Encounter.
During this exciting Paris Fashion Week, one name is on the lips of all the stylish and yet authentically Belgian: Natan. The fashion house, which is present in both the couture and ready-to-wear worlds, has established itself in almost a century of existence as a benchmark for chic, dressing the crowned heads of the “flat country” of course, but also those of the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg. As a sign of its position among the leading European luxury fashion houses, Natan opened a permanent space in Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche in 2024. LUXUS PLUS spoke with Edouard Vermeulen, the fashion designer at the helm of the company.
From architectural roots to couture
The Paul Natan fashion house was founded in 1930. Édouard Vermeulen, an interior designer trained at the École Saint-Luc in Brussels, rented a space in a mansion on Avenue Louise. When the Paul Natan fashion house went bankrupt in 1983, Édouard Vermeulen saw an opportunity to use the entire space to display his interior designs. Demand for couture clothing persisted, and he designed a few pieces. One thing led to another, and Édouard Vermeulen began to focus on fashion rather than decoration. He quickly infused his work with a contemporary vision, combining architectural rigor with discreet refinement.
His sense of structure and line shines through in each of his creations. Clean silhouettes, understated colors, impeccable tailoring: at Vermeulen, nothing is left to chance, everything exudes balance. “I like fashion that lasts, not fashion that screams,” he likes to say. His philosophy of moderation and restraint quickly won over the royal courts of Europe.
From Queen Paola Ruffo di Calabria, Queen Consort of Belgium, to Maxima of the Netherlands, via the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, many sovereigns have adopted his creations. In 1999, the wedding dress of the future Queen Mathilde of Belgium marked a turning point in his career: Edouard Vermeulen became the “couturier to queens.” Today, with a presence in Paris, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg, Natan has established itself as an essential fashion house, with a reputation that extends far beyond the borders of Belgium.
But fame has not changed his approach. True to his architectural vision, he continues to design structured silhouettes, guided by a desire for precision, beautiful cuts, and grace. Knighted by King Philippe in 2017, Édouard Vermeulen remains committed to a certain discretion.
A fashion house with a timeless outlook
At Natan, there is no logomania or ostentatious bling: style is expressed in subtle details—invisible stitching, perfectly structured shoulders, and precisely calculated lengths. The House favors noble and sustainable materials such as duchess satin and mohair, cultivating a refined elegance that is sometimes enlivened by bold touches—a sunny yellow or incandescent orange—which energize the palette without disrupting its balance. It calls on Belgian and European artisans to preserve local expertise and excellence. “I don’t design to follow trends, but to enhance the individual,” says Édouard Vermeulen, faithful to a vision where quality, cut, and wearability always take precedence over effect.
Heritage and modernity
As the House of Natan prepares to celebrate its centenary, Édouard Vermeulen looks to the future with calm and clarity. Far from nostalgia, he believes in a modernity rooted in continuity rather than rupture.
“A beautiful, well-made piece never goes out of style,” he likes to say, faithful to a vision of sustainable fashion that respects the passage of time.
Today, he is preparing to pass on the torch, preserving Natan’s DNA while supporting a new generation of designers. Launched in 2017, the Natan Collective program supports emerging Belgian talent through a responsible and collaborative approach.
At 68, Édouard Vermeulen is confidently preparing for the next generation, notably alongside his niece Marie-Charlotte, who already supports him within the House.
Édouard Vermeulen is undoubtedly one of the last couturiers to embody a form of diplomatic style.
“A dress should accompany a woman, not precede her,” he explains. He dresses powerful women without arming them, respecting their personality, their culture, and their discretion. With Natan, he has built much more than a brand: a true language of elegance that is calm, measured, and deeply human.
INTERVIEW:
Luxus Magazine: You dress queens, princesses, and women from all over the world. What is your personal definition of elegance?
Édouard Vermeulen: For me, elegance is not a question of fashion or trends, but an attitude. It is a subtle blend of simplicity, accuracy, and restraint. An elegant woman doesn’t try to shine; she radiates naturally through the way she wears her clothes, her poise, her delicacy, her way of being in the world.
Luxus Magazine: How has your training as an interior designer influenced your approach to fashion and the female silhouette?
Édouard Vermeulen: Interior design taught me to think about volumes, lines, and proportions. I have transposed this structural approach to the female silhouette. I like to construct a garment in the same way that one shapes a space: with balance, light, and fluidity. Every fold has a meaning. I seek to enhance women without ever constraining them.
Luxus Magazine: What is your first strong memory related to fashion? A moment, a garment, an emotion?
Édouard Vermeulen: One of my first vivid memories related to fashion dates back to a day spent shopping with my mother in Lille. I was still a child, but I remember very well how she chose her clothes. That’s when I realized how much a garment could reflect personality and emotion.
Luxus Magazine: You are very attached to Belgium and its craftsmanship. How is this reflected in your collections and your daily life?
Édouard Vermeulen: Belgium is at the heart of everything I do. It’s a land of balance, sobriety, and finesse. I work with my two Belgian workshops, with artisans who have golden hands and an immense passion for their craft. This local roots are essential: they guarantee quality, ethics, and transmission. And you can feel that in every Natan piece.
Luxus Magazine: You once said that your goal is to “make women beautiful.” What does that mean to you in a world where definitions of beauty and elegance are constantly changing?
Édouard Vermeulen: For me, making women beautiful does not mean imposing a fixed vision of beauty on them. It means accompanying them in who they are and who they are becoming, with sensitivity and respect. Today more than ever, beauty is plural, changing, linked to personality, attitude, and confidence. Embellishing means enhancing this, without ever distorting it. A well-designed garment can reveal a look, emphasize a quiet strength, and bring an elegance that is understated but memorable. At Natan, we seek to create pieces that follow the movement of life, offering freedom without sacrificing distinction. In short, embellishing means elevating without constraining.
Luxus Magazine: Natan is attracting an increasingly younger clientele, such as Princess Alix de Ligne and Zita d’Hauteville. How do you adapt your approach to appeal to new generations while remaining faithful to the House’s heritage?
Édouard Vermeulen: I think the key is to stay true to yourself. Young women today are very sensitive to quality, sustainability, and the story behind a garment. At Natan, we offer all of that, with a touch of understated modernity. I’m not trying to artificially rejuvenate the House, but rather to engage with new generations and offer them pieces they can make their own.
Luxus Plus: The House of Natan, soon to be a century old, has always embodied a discreet luxury that is internationally acclaimed. Looking ahead to the next 30 years, what would be your most daring vision for the future of Natan?
Édouard Vermeulen: For me, boldness does not lie solely in geographical expansion, even though the idea of seeing Natan establish itself in the United States or Asia excites me deeply. It lies above all in the ability to preserve a strong identity while engaging with the major changes taking place in the world. When I imagine Natan in thirty years’ time, I dream of a company that is even more committed to passing on its heritage, to innovation, and to creating a more ethical, more conscious, but always refined form of luxury. I also think of a fashion that continues to inspire through its restraint and accuracy, and which finds its place in the everyday life of a modern, active, multifaceted woman. Perhaps the ultimate boldness is to endure by remaining true to oneself.
Featured Photo: Edouard Vermeulen at the Museum of Decorative Arts in January 2025 © Natan
