Valentine Witmeur's First Who’s Next in 6 Questions

The latest edition of Who's Next marked a significant milestone for Belgian fashion designer Valentine Witmeur, allowing her to showcase her brand and its evolution.

Since its inception nearly ten years ago, Valentine Witmeur has described her brand as high-quality Belgian knitwear. This eponymous label, with its strong sense of elegance and comfort, debuted at Who's Next in the Fame area—a pivotal encounter with a designer at a turning point in her career.

Tell us about your brand.


It has been nearly ten years since we launched Valentine Witmeur. Initially, the brand focused on knitwear, but for the past two or three years, we have expanded our collection to include other materials like cotton and jersey. Our ambition is to offer a progressively complete wardrobe. Our latest addition, denim, introduced in the last two seasons, aligns with this goal.

 

Why did you start with knitwear?


Since I often wear and love sweaters, I wanted to start with them. We’re Belgian, and our weather is somewhat similar to Paris's, so we frequently wear sweaters throughout the year. I knew this product would fit well in the market. That’s how we began, and as I mentioned, we’ve gradually expanded the collection.


What led you to decide to attend the trade show?


Usually, we participate in smaller showrooms in Paris with our agents. However, we thought it would be beneficial to join larger trade shows because they attract much more foot traffic. In just three days, we’ve also connected with stores we wouldn’t have contacted otherwise and uncovered new markets we hadn’t previously considered. Who’s Next enables us to find new clients in regions where we don’t have agents. It provides us with visibility and helps introduce the brand.

How did you choose the pieces you showcased at the trade show?


We decided to bring nearly the entire collection—some pieces will be available in the coming weeks. Yet, we wanted to demonstrate the full range of our offerings, from our more classic pieces to the bolder ones.


How do you view the recent interest in knitwear in the industry?


For me, knitwear isn’t seasonal, and this renewed interest shows that people are simply seeking comfort. Comfortable fashion is genuinely what I advocate. I’m not aiming to create complicated or runway-driven fashion. That’s why I believe knitwear is ideal: it’s easy to pair with other items, and it’s also a warm, luxurious material. People appreciate its versatility and how it can be adapted in composition. The notion that it’s limited to winter needs to be reexamined. Today, we offer very fine, subtle knits perfect for summer. We can also create pieces that are form-fitting and quite sexy.

Sustainability has been part of your DNA since the beginning. What motivated you to embrace it, and how do you anticipate the conversation will evolve?


For us, it makes sense to provide quality pieces made from the most sustainable materials possible, even if we’re not a 100% eco-friendly brand. However, we are committed to a clean production. One of our strengths lies in producing in small, family-owned workshops with total transparency throughout the production chain.

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