All businesses are run by people. This is where you get to know who we are and how we move through our landscape. Introducing: Inside the Brand, a new content series where we informally dive into the industry with our clients and get their unique insights.
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When the sun’s shining in Amsterdam, there’s nowhere more beautiful than the canals. Our interview with Fabienne Chapot’s Head of E-commerce, Kim Reinders, gave us an especially privileged view from inside their office on the Herengracht. Spanning four floors and featuring a winding staircase, marble flooring, and floods of natural light, this heritage building is an inspiring location to work and visit.
Kim’s positivity and enthusiasm for her role was equally uplifting as she shared her career journey and company insights over a cup of coffee.
“My journey into the fashion industry started with a fairly spontaneous decision to move to New York when I was 18. I got an internship at DKNY and following that positive experience, I decided to apply for Fashion Management study at AMFI when I got back to Amsterdam. The study gave me the opportunity to pursue internships in Hong Kong and Shanghai with a focus on product development, but I realised I missed the business side of things so I decided a Business Administration Master at the UvA was a good next step.”
You’ve worked at Fabienne Chapot for four years now. Tell us a bit about your role and how you’ve evolved in your time.
I’m the Head of E-commerce and as of this year I also took on the stock and buying responsibilities. My time at Fabienne Chapot has given me a lot of space to grow through opportunities that have been given to me, but I have also taken on the challenges instead of shying away from them. That’s the best part about the company, they’re very open to letting people develop and learn on the job. For example, early on in my time, I was asked to lead a project to start selling on Marketplaces (like Zalando) - something I didn’t know much about. But management had faith in me, and I put a lot of effort into learning more about them and reaching out to my network of other professionals to get an insider understanding. And it all worked out pretty well in the end!
This proactive and curious approach to your career is a recurring theme… What skills would you say are needed to succeed in your role?
Curiosity is definitely important, as well as an eagerness to learn, being open, and having an entrepreneurial mindset. And of course, an interest in data and the ability to analyse the numbers. Although there’s a preconception that you have to be “good” with coding to be in the e-commerce world, that’s not the case. I’m personally not very technical, but that’s why I outsource these specific needs to be supported by people who do know.
Well, that’s a nice segway into discussing our relationship – what would you say are the pros and cons of working with an agency?
From my perspective, it’s been an amazing collaboration and would recommend all small/scale-up companies to bring in external help since setting up a whole e-commerce team in-house is a big (and costly) step. An agency has the benefit of working with many clients, giving them far more diverse input and wider knowledge than you’d have with a dedicated internal team. The advice an agency can give feels more custom and tailored, rather than a narrow perspective.
The feeling is mutual! We’re also very happy to work with you and help shape the future of Fabienne Chapot. Are there ever any discrepancies or difficulties in striking a balance between what we say and what you and your team want?
No, I really like that our relationship feels mutual and collaborative. It’s not just me asking you to do things, I’m also given input from your side. I feel supported and involved but also I’m very assured in your team’s capabilities that I don’t need to know all the coding and intricacies of Shopify. Working together is also a great way for me to get industry insights and stay on top of what’s going on in the dynamic e-commerce landscape.
Our latest project was a full website redesign, which showcases the new direction of the brand. Tell us a bit more about it.
If someone asks me to describe Fabienne Chapot, the first word that comes to mind is “fun.” Fabienne herself is a very bright and positive person, and that’s felt throughout the company and the designs. However, that wasn’t coming across through our online presence since we prioritised designs that performed well commercially, slightly compromising the brand’s creative DNA.
As a company, we decided a better balance of commercial and creative was needed in the collections and realised that the website could also help uplift us. So with your help, we’ve redesigned the website in line with the repositioning to bring back the fun and show off the intrinsic creativity of the brand. Now you can see far more colour, special details such as a custom-designed cursor, beautiful campaign imagery, and dynamic content that makes you want to be part of the brand, rather than just shop.
You sound very enthusiastic about the new look and feel, but how do you balance that with your own team’s goals and KPIs?
Of course, as Head of E-commerce, generating revenue is hugely important to my team and the success of the company. But I also believe that people need to feel the brand in order to want to wear it. Another part of the job - and in life in general - is knowing when to choose your battles. The brand and marketing team are free to tell our brand story on the homepage, but when it comes to the product pages, I'm pretty clear about what I need commercially!
Soon enough, we’ll start A/B testing, giving us more concrete insights to make decisions that aren’t just based on gut feeling, even though instinctive decisions help make a brand more authentic.
Getting the best out of data with a human approach, we’re big fans of that strategy.
One final question for you before you get on with your day. What’s your favourite item in your wardrobe?
My outfit of the day; the Elody jacket. An unmistakable Fabienne Chapot piece - colourful, playful, detailed and expressive. My style is generally more minimalist, so it goes with a lot and elevates every look.
Before we left, Kim kindly took us on a tour of the gorgeous building. Sneaking an insider look at iconic designs of the past collections and exciting new pieces from the upcoming seasons. The fun and positivity she described could be felt from the office energy and the distinctly Fabienne Chapot pieces we saw. Curious to see how the brand identity shines through on the new website? Have a look here.
