Written by: Kim Vanheule. Reviewed by: Lucinda Chen.
Founded in 1911 by Alice Roeis (1886-1961), the Roeis fashion house specialised in creating exclusive dresses and coats for a select clientele, with a particular emphasis on flattering colors and patterns. The house spanned over 60 years, with Alice Roeis working in the studio until three weeks before her death in 1961. After her death, her daughter carried on the business for about 10 years.
How the Roeis fashion house worked can be compared to the great French fashion houses of the 1920s. Fabrics were often imported from France or Parisian companies with a branch in Brussels, giving the house access to high-quality materials and fabrics for its designs. Roeis created her own designs, but often bought styles from other French couturiers such as Jeanne Lavin and Madame Paquin. The house meticulously made copies of each style in the carefully chosen color and fabric to ensure that every customer received a unique garment.
Its unique approach to designing and creating clothes sets it apart from other fashion houses. Rather than relying on fashion magazines, Roeis travelled to Paris four times a year to attend fashion shows and buy clothes or patterns in paper or toile, allowing the house to keep up with the latest fashion trends and create unique pieces for their customers.
The cultural aspect of Antwerp was also crucial to the house. The fashion house Roeis played an important role in shaping the fashion industry in Antwerp and beyond in the 1920s and 1930s. The house was known by word of mouth rather than advertising, and a select clientele sought out its unique and exclusive designs.
In conclusion, Roeis was a unique and influential fashion house that shaped the fashion industry in Antwerp and beyond. Its focus on creating exclusive designs and its reliance on personal experience in Paris rather than fashion magazines set it apart from other fashion houses of the time.
Sources:
Main Source: Vanbrabant, Eva. “Modehuis Roeis: Haute Couture tijdens het interbellum.” Thesis, Ghent University, 2005.