Discover Benelux | Dutch Design | Made in the Netherlands
NO MAN’S LAND:
Material sophistication TEXT: CHARLOTTE VAN HEK | PHOTOS: GIACOMO DEMELLI, SONIA MARIN
Emerging from Dutch and Italian roots, women’s clothing brand no man’s land lies at a crossroad where Dutch comfort and Mediterranean elegance meet. With a penchant for timeless and high-quality fashion that puts pure materials in the high seat, the label designs for women wanting to stand out through the most subtle and sophisticated details. Walk into the kitchen of any Italian family and be surprised by the warmth and dedication to a fine quality of life found there. Alongside wine from self-grown grapes 26 | Issue 46 | October 2017
and the scent of freshly baked bread, it is mainly the tangible passion to want the best for the family that hallmarks the Italian spirit. The same passion and commitment defines high-end fashion label no man’s land, who want nothing less than excellence for its retailers and customers. After all, they are considered family.
‘It all started with a turtleneck’ It was 1983 when Anet Ooijman (the Netherlands) and her partner Salvatore Cascone (Italy) opened the doors of Cascone & Co: a multi-brand agency for several
Italian clothing brands targeting the Dutch and Belgian market. “I often found that Italian fashion lacked the right adaptation to Dutch standards and sizes,” says Ooijman, when asked about the start of no man’s land. “Trousers that were too short, jumpers that were too small, and so on. When discovering the manufacturing know-how of North Italian producers – mainly family companies - we decided to set up our own agency and to work with various producers.” While Ooijman oversees the fashion and production side, Cascone takes care of the business side of things.