Falling in love with Modefabriek all over again
Some loves never truly disappear. For Rick van Rijthoven, that is certainly true of Modefabriek. Almost thirty years after helping to launch the platform, he is back at the helm. Not driven by nostalgia, but with a fresh perspective and, above all, a renewed desire to build. To build a new chapter for Modefabriek, develop new initiatives and create stronger connections across the industry.
From a Saturday job to his own fashion brand
Rick’s introduction to the fashion industry began in the late 1980s. On Saturdays, he worked at Alessandro Caselli, a trendy menswear store in Amstelveen frequented by many Dutch celebrities. He was immediately drawn to the world of fashion, style and the people surrounding it. After finishing school, Rick joined Mac&Maggie, where he met Lucel van den Hoeven. Their friendship developed into a long-standing business partnership and, in 1995, they launched their own clothing brand, DNA.
That period would prove instrumental in shaping the rest of his career. “With DNA, I really learned how the fashion industry works in practice. You are not just working on a collection. You are building a brand, focusing on sales, working with retailers and responding to changes in the market.” Entrepreneurship suited Rick. Spotting opportunities, developing new concepts and bringing people together have remained a common thread throughout his career. “Above all, I learned that you shouldn’t wait for someone else to change things. If you see an opportunity, you can take the initiative yourself.”
A trade show that wanted to do things differently
The idea for Modefabriek emerged from DNA in 1996. Rick and Lucel were looking for a more innovative way to present their own brand and, at the same time, saw opportunities to bring something new to the existing fashion trade show landscape. What began almost as a joke quickly became a serious project. The first edition took place at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. They deliberately chose an industrial venue, introduced uniform stand design and worked with a selection committee. Every brand was given the same foundation, allowing the collections and individual brand identities to take centre stage.
“We simply wanted to create something we believed in ourselves. At the time, we could never have predicted the impact Modefabriek would eventually have.”
Back at the helm
Modefabriek has remained an important part of Rick’s life throughout the years. He has seen the platform come to life, grow and evolve. Since March 2026, he has been co-owner and Managing Director of Modefabriek B.V., with responsibility for its day-to-day management. Together with Lucel, he saw an opportunity to build on the strong foundations already in place while simultaneously ushering in a new chapter.
Rick draws a great deal of energy from the team around him. Young talent brings fresh ideas and new perspectives, something he sees as one of Modefabriek’s greatest strengths. “It’s not about coming up with everything yourself. It’s about creating an environment where good ideas can emerge and giving people the freedom to actually bring those ideas to life.”
Thinking like a start-up again
Over the past thirty years, the fashion industry has changed dramatically. Digitalisation, the internet and social media have transformed not only the way consumers shop, but also the way brands and retailers do business. For Rick, there is one clear lesson: you cannot continue relying on what worked in the past. “We are approaching Modefabriek as if it were a start-up again. What do we want to be? Who are we here for? And what value can we add? Experience is something to cherish, but it should never hold you back.”
That drive for innovation can also be seen in SHIFT, Denim Days and CHAPTER, each with its own distinctive character and target audience. SHIFT focuses on a younger, urban and streetwear-oriented audience, while CHAPTER is being developed as an independent B2B platform in Germany, centred around carefully selected brands, quality and meaningful connections with retailers. CHAPTER’s first edition is scheduled for February 2027. It is a new adventure, but one in which Rick can draw on everything he has learned over the past few decades.
Meet. Match. Make.
Modefabriek itself is also entering a new era, with a renewed positioning and identity. And according to Rick, this goes far beyond introducing a new logo or visual identity. Fashion remains at the heart of Modefabriek, while the platform will increasingly seek connections with areas such as lifestyle, design and culture. Not by simply adding more categories, but by creating an environment where different brands, ideas and disciplines reinforce one another. This philosophy is captured in three words: Meet. Match. Make.
Meet is about bringing people together. Match is about finding the right connections. And Make represents everything that can emerge from those connections, from new ideas and collaborations to tangible business opportunities. And what needs to remain unchanged? The curiosity that sparked Modefabriek in the first place.
The power of meeting face to face
Although much of the fashion industry has moved online, Rick has no doubts about the future of physical events. “You can find an enormous amount of information online. But seeing a collection in real life, touching the materials and speaking to a brand face to face remains something special. Those unexpected discoveries are exactly what make a trade show so valuable.”
That does not mean, however, that trade shows can simply remain as they have always been. A visit needs to be efficient, relevant to the day-to-day reality of retailers and provide plenty of inspiration. Digital and physical experiences are not opposites. In fact, they can strengthen one another. That is why Modefabriek also wants to become more visible between its major trade show moments through smaller gatherings, content and relevant events.
Tomorrow’s retailer needs a distinctive identity
One development Rick finds particularly interesting is the growing importance of a clear and distinctive identity for retailers. “A store needs to be more than simply a place where products are sold. Consumers are looking for a story, a style and a feeling they can identify with.” At the same time, he sees the boundaries between fashion, lifestyle, interiors, design and culture becoming increasingly blurred. For Rick, this creates exciting opportunities: for brands to tell their stories more powerfully and for retailers to inspire their customers in new ways. Modefabriek wants to play a connecting role in this development by giving brands greater visibility and enabling retailers to discover fresh ideas.
Stronger together
That connecting role is also at the heart of potential collaborations with organisations such as EK Retail. They know their retailers and understand the commercial challenges they face. Modefabriek, in turn, brings together brands, knowledge, inspiration and an extensive network. Rick believes this creates opportunities to help retailers prepare more effectively for a trade show visit, organise relevant events and share knowledge throughout the year.
“Retailers’ time is limited, so we have to make sure that a visit genuinely adds value. No one has all the answers. It’s precisely by working together that you can really get things moving.” Modefabriek is therefore also taking a critical look at the content and overall experience of the event. Menswear is returning, there will be more room for relevant lifestyle and design influences, and hospitality is being given greater emphasis. The objective is clear: visitors should discover new brands, have valuable conversations and return home with fresh ideas. Exhibitors, meanwhile, should be able to present their brands effectively, strengthen existing relationships and make new connections.
Falling in love all over again
And then there is the title: Falling in love with Modefabriek all over again. Interestingly, for Rick, that renewed love has little to do with looking back. “For me, it’s not about nostalgia. It’s about the opportunities I can see again. I know Modefabriek inside out, but at the same time, I’m looking at it with fresh eyes.”
There are new ideas to explore, new collaborations to build and new opportunities to seize. Perhaps most importantly, there is a renewed energy to create. The ambition for the next five years is therefore significant. Rick wants Modefabriek to become a strong, recognisable and future-proof platform that remains relevant to brands and retailers, not only during the physical trade show, but throughout the entire year. At the same time, he wants to continue creating space for young talent, new concepts and different ways of working.
“If, five years from now, we can say that our platforms have remained relevant, that we have been able to offer the industry something valuable throughout the year and that we have brought people and organisations closer together, I’ll be satisfied.” Because ultimately, for Rick, it is not just about trade shows, brands or concepts. It is about the people who bring them to life together.
