If there’s one thing German businessman Christian Von Daniels takes pride in a decade after acquiring Van Laack from the descendants of its original owners, it’s that he and his team have been able to jazz up the reputable but staid 130-year-old German ready-to-wear brand.
“A good number of people know Van Laack shirts for their quality and workmanship,” he said. “But if they don’t like what they see in the stores, they won’t buy.”
Von Daniels recently flew to Manila from Van Laack’s headquarters in Monchengladbach, Germany, to attend the launch of the brand’s first store in the Philippines. The event culminated in a fashion show at Greenbelt 5 in Makati, where the Van Laack store is located, featuring professional models sharing the runway with “real” men.
Von Daniels retained the brand’s positioning of catering to discriminating men and women with considerable purchasing power. At the same time, his core group of designers in Germany came up with more contemporary designs and vibrant colors that went beyond Van Laack’s traditionally conservative offerings.
To compete more effectively in a global market, he opened factories outside Germany. Guided by experienced German hands, factories in Tunisia, Vietnam and Indonesia now produce a considerable bulk of Van Laack products.
Made to measure
He also beefed up the company’s made-to-measure team. Customers with special needs and preferences can easily avail themselves of Van Laack’s made-to-measure service.
They can combine the current and classic fabrics with preferred collars and cuffs. They can even have their initials or nicknames embroidered either on the shirt’s pocket or cuff. Or, they can do away with the pocket.
Measurements taken by a trained store staff are sent to Van Laack’s factories in Tunisia. From there, the partially finished shirt is sent to the German headquarters for additional finishing and quality control inspection.
Once the process is completed, the shirt is shipped to its final destination: the client. In three to four weeks, he or she can pick up and wear his/her made-to-measure shirt.
“It all comes down to the design and fit,” said Von Daniels. “Years ago, when brands asked customers their size, they just limited measurements to their necks. Below, you were left wearing a tent. We don’t do it that way. We approach the body in a way that would make you feel and look really good and sexy.”
And Von Daniels isn’t referring only to women, which now make up 40 percent of Van Laack’s market.
“Believe me, men like to look and feel sexy, too,” he said.
The bulk of merchandise at its Greenbelt 5 store are still men’s shirts and a few accessories such as neckties, cufflinks and jackets. The store also carries pants.
Since many women still have a say on what clothes their boyfriends and husbands buy, Von Daniels has also strengthened its ladies’ line with shirts, light sweaters, belted jackets and scarves.
“Women need to see the full display of the range to understand the collection,” he said. “They’re normally not satisfied with just a few pieces. They change their wardrobe more often than men. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity for us at Van Laack.”
Brand DNA
Von Daniels upholds the brand’s DNA, which boils down to quality and workmanship. Even if they’re made of the same high-quality Egyptian cotton, not all shirts are created equal.
To illustrate his point, he compared the amount of time it takes to manufacture the “usual” shirt compared to that by Van Laack.
“The process of manufacturing the usual shirt you buy in a department store takes 30 to 50 minutes,” said Von Daniels. “The Van Laack Royal Shirt takes at least 100 minutes, while the made-to-measure takes at least 200 minutes. The extra time and attention we put in are seen in the details, from the shirt’s cut down to the fine and durable stitching, including our trademark buttons.”
Under Von Daniels’ stewardship, Van Laack has grown to become a 70-million-euro company. On top of its global presence in more than 1,000 department store chains, the brand is in 150 stand-alone or mono-brand stores worldwide.
In the Philippines, Van Laack is represented by the husband-and-wife team of Johnlu and Marilou Koa. The latter is managing director of Javesca Corp., sister company of Euro Mode Inc., which brought German luxury brands Escada and Escada Sport to Manila in the ’90s.
“It’s been only less than a year, but we’re doing well,” said Marilou. “Not only are we on track, sales have been improving every month.”
Second outlet
The couple is looking at opening a second outlet at Shangri-La Mall.
“We’re also quite excited about new developments in the Bonifacio Global City,” said Johnlu, whose devotion to Van Laack shirts has led him to entice total strangers to try on the pieces.
“These men don’t know me or the brand,” he continued, “but once I catch them in the store and get to talk to them about the shirts, they end up buying a few pieces. Not only do they see me wearing one, I also show them several of my old Van Laack shirts hidden behind the display area, which have already undergone several washings. Customers are impressed by how good they still look.”