{"id":177925,"date":"2025-10-02T10:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T08:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/?p=177925"},"modified":"2025-10-05T15:46:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T13:46:48","slug":"interview-edouard-vermeulen-the-craftsman-behind-the-understated-elegance-of-the-natan-fashion-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/interview-edouard-vermeulen-the-craftsman-behind-the-understated-elegance-of-the-natan-fashion-house\/","title":{"rendered":"[INTERVIEW] \u00c9douard Vermeulen, the craftsman behind the understated elegance of the Natan fashion house"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the sometimes noisy world of fashion, \u00c9douard 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.<\/h4>\n

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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<\/b> worlds, has established itself in almost a century of existence<\/b> as a benchmark for chic, dressing the crowned heads<\/b> of the \u201cflat country\u201d 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 March\u00e9 Rive Gauche in 2024. LUXUS PLUS spoke with Edouard Vermeulen, the fashion designer at the helm of the company.<\/p>\n

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From architectural roots to couture<\/h2>\n

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The Paul Natan fashion house<\/b> was founded in 1930. \u00c9douard Vermeulen<\/b>, an interior designer trained at the \u00c9cole Saint-Luc in Brussels, rented a space in a mansion on Avenue Louise. When the Paul Natan fashion house went bankrupt in 1983, \u00c9douard 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 \u00c9douard Vermeulen began to focus on fashion rather than decoration. He quickly infused his work with a contemporary vision, combining architectural rigor with discreet refinement.<\/p>\n

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Natan store in Brussels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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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<\/b>. \u201cI like fashion that lasts, not fashion that screams,\u201d he likes to say. His philosophy of moderation and restraint quickly won over the royal courts of Europe.<\/p>\n

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Natan advertisement in the 80’s \u00a9 Natan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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From Queen Paola Ruffo di Calabria<\/b>, Queen Consort of Belgium, to Maxima of the Netherlands<\/b>, via the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg<\/b>, 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 \u201ccouturier to queens<\/b>.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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Queen Mathilde dressed by Natan at her wedding in 1999 \u00a9 Tim Graham<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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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, \u00c9douard Vermeulen remains committed to a certain discretion.<\/p>\n

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A fashion house with a timeless outlook<\/h2>\n

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At Natan, there is no logomania or ostentatious bling: style is expressed in subtle details\u2014invisible stitching, perfectly structured shoulders, and precisely calculated<\/b> lengths. The House favors noble and sustainable materials<\/b> such as duchess satin and mohair, cultivating a refined elegance that is sometimes enlivened by bold touches\u2014a sunny yellow or incandescent orange\u2014which energize the palette without disrupting its balance. It calls on Belgian and European artisans to preserve local expertise and excellence<\/b>. \u201cI don’t design to follow trends, but to enhance the individual,\u201d says \u00c9douard Vermeulen, faithful to a vision where quality, cut, and wearability always take precedence over effect.<\/p>\n

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Fall\/Winter 2026 Collection \u00a9 Natan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Heritage and modernity<\/h2>\n

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As the House of Natan prepares to celebrate its centenary<\/b>, \u00c9douard Vermeulen looks to the future with calm and clarity. Far from nostalgia, he believes in a modernity rooted in continuity rather than rupture.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA beautiful, well-made piece never goes out of style,\u201d he likes to say, faithful to a vision of sustainable fashion that respects the passage of time.<\/p>\n

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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<\/b> supports emerging Belgian talent through a responsible and collaborative approach.<\/p>\n

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Spring\/Summer 2023 Collection \u00a9 Natan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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At 68, \u00c9douard Vermeulen is confidently preparing for the next generation, notably alongside his niece Marie-Charlotte<\/b>, who already supports him within the House.<\/p>\n

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\u00c9douard Vermeulen is undoubtedly one of the last couturiers to embody a form of diplomatic style.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA dress should accompany a woman, not precede<\/b> her,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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INTERVIEW:<\/b><\/h3>\n

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Luxus Magazine: You dress queens, princesses, and women from all over the world. What is your personal definition of elegance?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen<\/b>: 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.<\/p>\n

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Luxus Magazine: How has your training as an interior designer influenced your approach to fashion and the female silhouette?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen<\/b>: 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.<\/p>\n

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Luxus Magazine: What is your first strong memory related to fashion? A moment, a garment, an emotion?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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Collection Fall\/Winter 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Luxus Magazine: You are very attached to Belgium and its craftsmanship. How is this reflected in your collections and your daily life?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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Luxus Magazine: You once said that your goal is to \u201cmake women beautiful.\u201d What does that mean to you in a world where definitions of beauty and elegance are constantly changing?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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Fall\/Winter 2026 Collection \u00a9 Natan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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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?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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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?<\/h3>\n

\u00c9douard Vermeulen:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

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Read also >INTERVIEW – Taha Bouqdib, the architect of taste leading the revival of Bacha Coffee | Luxus Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

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Featured Photo: Edouard Vermeulen at the Museum of Decorative Arts in January 2025 \u00a9 Natan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the sometimes noisy world of fashion, \u00c9douard 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1882,"featured_media":177920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"%%post_title%% %%sep%% %%sitetitle%%","_seopress_titles_desc":"At the helm of Maison Natan, founded in Brussels in 1930, Edouard Vermeulen has established a refined vision of luxury, characterized by restraint and subtlety.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22488],"tags":[23414,23261,22395,24559,24134],"class_list":["post-177925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle-en","tag-europe-en","tag-haute-couture-en","tag-interviews-en","tag-lifestyle-by-luxus-en","tag-mode-et-maroquinerie-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1882"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}