When creativity stops and reality kicks in: an evolutionary view on fashion entrepreneurship in the Netherlands and Belgium

Internationally, the Dutch fashion industry is of modest importance. Although the Netherlands has a large pool of talented young fashion designers, and although many young promising fashion designers graduate from fashion academies each year, only very few ever become and remain to be successful in the international fashion world. How can this be explained? In order to find out what is ‘wrong’ with the Dutch fashion industry, one could look at Belgium. The Belgian fashion industry has delivered numerous successful fashion designers. Young designers seem to be on the brink of stepping in the footsteps of very successful designers like Dries van Noten or Ann Demeulemeester. Through a qualitative research with quantitative elements, this thesis attempts to explain the difference in commercial success between Dutch and Belgian fashion designers from a evolutionary perspective. The focus lies on two aspects of the fashion industry specifically: education and access to external finance. While differences in education are not such that they can account for differences in commercial success completely, several important differences in access to external finance can be held accountable. It appears that in order to obtain financial resources, Dutch and Belgian fashion designers follow very different paths. In the Netherlands, the easiest way to get financed is to apply for a variety of subsidies. To do so is completely rational. Subsidies are awarded on the basis of artistic quality. As a result, Dutch fashion entrepreneurs stress their artistic value. In evolutionary terms: they adapt strategically to their (financial) environment. But when the subsidies end and one has to apply for more commercial forms of financing, Dutch entrepreneurs find themselves trapped in artistry. At this point, these designers would need entrepreneurial skills and characteristics. Instead, they are ‘selected’ on qualities needed in an environment of subsidies. The subsidy system restrains Dutch designers from developing entrepreneurial characteristics and a proactive attitude towards external financing that is needed when the subsidy system stops providing. The Belgian ‘financing environment’ is of a different character. In Belgium there is no ‘easiest way’ to get financed. Subsidies are very rare and the subsidies that do exist are granted on the basis of entrepreneurial qualities. As a result, Belgian fashion entrepreneurs stress their entrepreneurial and commercial qualities. In evolutionary terms: they adapt themselves strategically to their (financial) environment. As a result, the ‘natural’ selection on potential (commercial) successfulness is not distorted by a subsidy system that disrupts the balance between commerce and artisticity by only selecting on artistic talents.