Essentiel Antwerp, a Belgian success story
In 1999, designers Esfan Eghtessadi and Inge Onsea tried their luck and launched their line of t-shirts on the market. This range consists of four models available in twenty different colors, the essentials of any wardrobe. In the apartment of the young couple who acts as a showroom, the t-shirts sell like hotcakes. After a year, the first store opens its doors in Antwerp. Four seasons later, knitwear, jackets, dresses, shirts and pants in trendy colors and new materials, as well as a line of brand new accessories are added to the collection. Essentiel became a ready-to-wear collection in its own right. A total success! After an unexpected triumph at the "Who's Next" fair in Paris, Essentiel opened boutiques in Knokke, Brussels, Antwerp, Louvain, Hasselt and Bruges. Success after success, the couple is more determined than ever to undertake the next step. In 2004, Essentiel launched its first men's collection. Existing stores have a men's corner and exclusive men's boutiques open in Antwerp, Knokke, Leuven and Hasselt. Crossing borders, the brand also inaugurates signs in Paris and Lille.