Stories at
WE Fashion
"If I had to describe working at WE Fashion in three words, they'd be rewarding, sociable and inspiring."
Robin van Dooren, Designer
"If I had to describe working at WE Fashion in three words, they'd be rewarding, sociable and inspiring."
Robin van Dooren, Designer
A new challenge
"A former colleague of mine had made the switch to WE® and was very enthusiastic about it. When I was approached myself, I wanted to take up the challenge too," Robin van Dooren, Designer at WE Fashion, begins. In early 2020, she sets foot into the organisation’s headquarters for the first time. Not new to the job, but with a drive to work for a larger company. "The position was perfect for me. It was what I was already doing, but on a bigger scale. I immediately had a good feeling about WE® and am happy to call myself a Women's Jersey Designer."
Learning and developing
The Design departments are divided into men's, women's and kids’ divisions. Robin works as a Jersey - otherwise known as tricot - Designer for the women’s collection. "Quite simply, this means that I am responsible for conceiving and designing all jersey items. These can be dresses, but also skirts and tops, for example. "Besides developing new products, Robin also creates prints: "I make all-over prints and create artworks for T-shirts. I’d done this before my career at WE®, but not as major and detailed as I do now. At first, that was quite a challenge!" With the help of various courses, Robin sharpens her knowledge and uses different tutorials to keep up. And with success, as her first design turned out to be a real bestseller. Robin: "Yes, I'm still incredibly proud of that. As I see it, WE® offers a lot of room to try new things and develop yourself. On top of that, it doesn't matter if something doesn't work out in one go. Together you look at what is needed to move forward."
A new challenge
"A former colleague of mine had made the switch to WE® and was very enthusiastic about it. When I was approached myself, I wanted to take up the challenge too," Robin van Dooren, Designer at WE Fashion, begins. In early 2020, she sets foot into the organisation’s headquarters for the first time. Not new to the job, but with a drive to work for a larger company. "The position was perfect for me. It was what I was already doing, but on a bigger scale. I immediately had a good feeling about WE® and am happy to call myself a Women's Jersey Designer."
Learning and developing
The Design departments are divided into men's, women's and kids’ divisions. Robin works as a Jersey - otherwise known as tricot - Designer for the women’s collection. "Quite simply, this means that I am responsible for conceiving and designing all jersey items. These can be dresses, but also skirts and tops, for example. "Besides developing new products, Robin also creates prints: "I make all-over prints and create artworks for T-shirts. I’d done this before my career at WE®, but not as major and detailed as I do now. At first, that was quite a challenge!" With the help of various courses, Robin sharpens her knowledge and uses different tutorials to keep up. And with success, as her first design turned out to be a real bestseller. Robin: "Yes, I'm still incredibly proud of that. As I see it, WE® offers a lot of room to try new things and develop yourself. On top of that, it doesn't matter if something doesn't work out in one go. Together you look at what is needed to move forward."
"This position is perfect for me. It's what I was already doing, but on a bigger scale. I feel right at home here."
"This position is perfect for me. It's what I was already doing, but on a bigger scale. I feel right at home here."
A pleasant work environment
This work culture is what differentiates WE® from other employers, Robin believes. "I work in a team of many like-minded people, with everyone complementing each other to achieve the best possible results. As a designer, you sometimes find yourself lost in your own world and get stuck on something. Then an extra pair of eyes can give you that little push in the right direction. This is really nice, especially when you've just started working somewhere and are still unsure about what you know and can do." In addition to this, the manner of working is also different from what Robin was accustomed to. “It's very structured, which gives me peace of mind as a designer. Back in the day things were often rushed, I experience that very differently now. I know exactly what is expected of me and within these frameworks I can move freely. That works out perfectly for me."
Grateful
"If I had to describe working at WE® in three words, they'd be rewarding, sociable and inspiring," Robin says. She believes this is due to the creative freedom she gets. "Here, I can let my creativity run wild. When I see someone wearing my own design, I really experience it as a moment of happiness. Our collections are completely inspired by the customer's needs, so it's always fun to see what our clothes do for someone." In addition, travelling is and will always be a gift, Robin explains. "I regularly go abroad. We then visit countries like Mauritius and China, to strengthen cooperation with our suppliers, work on collections and look at samples. We also visit cities like Paris or London for inspiration. I'm still so grateful that this is part of my job."
The future
Robin fondly looks back on the past few years. "I believe I've become more confident," she says. "I've grown as a person, know where my strengths lie and believe in myself." She is proud of what she and her team have been able to achieve. "We released a Curve range. I continue to find that tremendously special." Finally, thanks to her work at WE®, Robin has also discovered a personal talent. For one, she’s very good at thinking outside the box and filtering this back to the WE® customer. "I really like to go with the more exuberant trends. I always try to incorporate these in one way or another and often succeed. This is how - as a brand - we respond well to today's fashion." Robin doesn't yet know what the future will look like: "I think that's a tricky one, maybe in five years' time I'll be a Senior Designer or have another creative job. What I know for sure is that for me, further growth is at the top of the list."
A pleasant work environment
This work culture is what differentiates WE® from other employers, Robin believes. "I work in a team of many like-minded people, with everyone complementing each other to achieve the best possible results. As a designer, you sometimes find yourself lost in your own world and get stuck on something. Then an extra pair of eyes can give you that little push in the right direction. This is really nice, especially when you've just started working somewhere and are still unsure about what you know and can do." In addition to this, the manner of working is also different from what Robin was accustomed to. “It's very structured, which gives me peace of mind as a designer. Back in the day things were often rushed, I experience that very differently now. I know exactly what is expected of me and within these frameworks I can move freely. That works out perfectly for me."
Grateful
"If I had to describe working at WE® in three words, they'd be rewarding, sociable and inspiring," Robin says. She believes this is due to the creative freedom she gets. "Here, I can let my creativity run wild. When I see someone wearing my own design, I really experience it as a moment of happiness. Our collections are completely inspired by the customer's needs, so it's always fun to see what our clothes do for someone." In addition, travelling is and will always be a gift, Robin explains. "I regularly go abroad. We then visit countries like Mauritius and China, to strengthen cooperation with our suppliers, work on collections and look at samples. We also visit cities like Paris or London for inspiration. I'm still so grateful that this is part of my job."
The future
Robin fondly looks back on the past few years. "I believe I've become more confident," she says. "I've grown as a person, know where my strengths lie and believe in myself." She is proud of what she and her team have been able to achieve. "We released a Curve range. I continue to find that tremendously special." Finally, thanks to her work at WE®, Robin has also discovered a personal talent. For one, she’s very good at thinking outside the box and filtering this back to the WE® customer. "I really like to go with the more exuberant trends. I always try to incorporate these in one way or another and often succeed. This is how - as a brand - we respond well to today's fashion." Robin doesn't yet know what the future will look like: "I think that's a tricky one, maybe in five years' time I'll be a Senior Designer or have another creative job. What I know for sure is that for me, further growth is at the top of the list."
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