Always dreamed of a tailor-made suit and shoes? Heighlon uses the latest digital tools and a personal approach to bring your ideas to life. A dynamic Belgian brand that creates sustainable, high-quality products and aims for 100% customer satisfaction. At Heighlon you can expect ultimate sophistication. A contemporary brand with a nod to the past. Owner Christophe Hautier has a knack for entrepreneurship, and an eye for detail and quality are not lacking from him either. That’s why he only works with the best high-end suppliers. Pleased to meet you!
Can you please explain to our readers who Christophe from Heighlon is?
I graduated as a commercial engineer, so you can safely say that my roots are not really in the fashion world. Over the last 10 years, I have built up a lot of experience and a valuable network in both the private and non-profit sector. Entrepreneurship has been in my blood from an early age. After my studies, I founded my own digital agency ‘desent®‘ where the focus was mainly on graphic and web design, and this has evolved over the years into branding, development, innovation and strategy. The passion for design is also reflected in my clothing style. When I’m working, I like to have a certain formal look, so I like to wear a suit with the necessary accents to match my personality. This has been the basis for the establishment of Heighlon.
Could you briefly explain the history of your case?
I follow the evolution of e-commerce and digital very closely. Nowadays, anyone can start their own shop quite easily (e.g. via Shopify), but that is only the beginning of the big work. My interests lie mainly in the idea, the concept, the quality of the product and the entire logistics process. I like to look at the complete chain, know where, in the case of Heighlon, the fabrics and materials come from and who are the masters who master the craft. Especially at a time when virtually the whole world is connected, identifying the various links in the chain becomes a little less complex. Twenty years ago, it would probably not have been so obvious to start something like this. After a long and intensive search, I found the right suppliers and ateliers and started making custom-made shoes and suits. This eventually grew into the concept and the brand Heighlon.
Christophe, do you think it is important for people to present themselves in style?
Yes it is. I am a big fan of the series Mad Men, where the men and women always go to work well dressed. Today, we are more in the casual flow, which in itself is nothing wrong. We have to be able to work comfortably, but I still think it’s important to make sure that you radiate the look and feel of the company, especially if you often have contact with customers. A tie or bow tie is not always necessary, but a shirt and dress trousers give off a bit more than, for example, a jumper with a funny tagline. Nor does it always mean that when you are dressed casually or ‘creatively’, you can suddenly think out of the box. I think that is completely unrelated. But in the end, everyone has to decide for themselves how they want to dress. Daring to dress according to the circumstances is the most important thing.
Christophe, which players are in the value chain that you have mapped out and how are the mechanics? Is it comparable to the airBNBs of this world?
The strength of AirBNB and of all American companies selling services is that they have no products. They use other people’s products. You might think this is absurd, but it works. Especially since everything is connected. In my case, it is more or less the same. Once you start searching, you see a lot of possibilities. There is, of course, an important difference in quality and service. During my search, I had contact with several studios, but each time there were elements that could jeopardise a lasting cooperation. In the end, I found the right partners in Europe. This is not unimportant, especially if we take into account the free movement and stricter e-commerce rules. The players within Europe are therefore much more interesting, for example countries such as Portugal, Italy and Spain, where globalisation has also ensured that the language barrier has disappeared. English is often the official language here.
So European quality is certainly important to you, but with a Belgian touch?
Yes indeed, because Heighlon is a Belgian brand and I want to radiate that. The design process takes place entirely in Belgium, the production at various locations in Europe. . Ultimately, I think it is important to supply high-quality and sustainable products. Heighlon is not only a brand but also an experience. Because our products are high-end, building a network and word-of-mouth is very important. I use social media mainly to showcase new styles or shoots with clients, so it’s more of a digital showcase in combination with our own website.
Can you explain to people how the buying process works with you?
It is a process that we have translated into 5 steps. When you land on the website, it means that you are looking for a high quality product or are interested in tailor-made clothing. That is actually already step 1, theeffective way to reach interested parties. People who want to know more or buy a product and get in touch. The second step is to make a (preferably) physical appointment. This personal approach is also the strength of the product. This brings us to step 3 and 4, the actual appointment where the customer chooses their favourite fabric and we take the measurements.
For the accessories, we look at what suits the costume best and advise the client. For the belt we usually choose the same leather as the shoes. The composition of the shoes is done via a 3D application so that the customer gets a good visual image. Using samples, the customer can also feel the leather. After the customer has put together his outfit, I coordinate with the workshops and after 4 to 6 weeks the suit and matching shoes and accessories are delivered. The fifth and final step is to make an appointment to try on the suit so we can see if it needs adjusting. This personal touch is really appreciated by customers. If you need a jumper quickly, you will go to the shop, but for a suit and especially with a special finish, it is a bit more difficult. This is the high-end part of the concept: a special fabric or lining, your name embroidered on your costume, special buttons, etc.
We can see that a direct relationship with your consumer is something you value, can’t we?
Yes, the first contact is actually the most important. The customer has to feel good about the brand and the person he or she is in contact with. If the customer is also satisfied with the first product, then you have actually built a long-term relationship with the customer. Both for a tailor-made suit, but also for a casual outfit. The customer knows that we have the sizes and can therefore come to us again and again for a different product. In this way, people also gain confidence in the product, and therefore in the brand. On the one hand because of the personal touch, but also because of the quality of the product. If the customer is looking for something special, we will always look for a solution to help him further.
Christophe, can you explain why it is impossible to work with Belgian suppliers?
“Impossible” is not a word I would immediately use. It is more difficult and more expensive to produce everything in Belgium. The production processes needed to make the costumes in this way are difficult to find in Belgium. Almost everything is produced abroad, and I chose to work with European ateliers. What you can find in Belgium are bespoke tailors. Bespoke’ means that your suit is completely made to measure from A to Z, which results in a product in a completely different price category. I don’t really see that as competition, rather an inspiration. If you’re looking for more price-efficient manufacturers, you soon end up abroad.
Is it to do with labour costs, with a piece of craftsmanship that is disappearing, economic conditions, governments that are not really supportive of the sector or other things? What is your view on this?
I think it all plays a role. If a suit is made here in a workshop, then the wage cost has a strong impact on the total price. The disappearance of crafts in general is also a development that causes people to go abroad in search of the right partners. There are, of course, tailors, but I don’t think there are many tailors left in the young generation. There are those with an interest in clothes, but that’s something else. Putting together an outfit is not the same as creating something. We also have to look at the globalisation. There isa lot of competition on the market, manufacturers abroad who work for lower prices than in Belgium. So we are back in the whole price story. Perhaps Belgian fashion production is also insufficiently stimulated by the government. I think there should be more support for setting up such production companies, so that Belgium can compete with other countries.
Christophe, you are someone who is ambitious, who looks ahead. What are your wild plans for Heighlon?
I want to further expand Heighlon and expand my network as much as possible. I would also like to realise the B2B story . Making contacts with interesting people and brands for whom we can create a unique outfit which can then be used for campaigns.
In time, I would like to expand the concept with a physical store where people can come and put together their costume and shoes in peace and comfort. Create a whole experience around Heighlon. Aone-stop-shop with a high-end feeling.
Do you have an online shop as well or does that not fit in with the vision of your product?
In addition to our custom-made collection, we also havepre-designed high-end products, which do not require detailed measuring. For this I have set up a webshop, but creating an experience is my priority. A platform where customers can enter their own measurements is also a possibility, but that increases the risk of errors, and can therefore also have an impact on the entire process. High quality and top service remain key, but the branding around it is also very important. After all, what is the reason that you end up buying a product? Why do you prefer one brand over another? Quite simply, the experience. The website also serves as the first point of contact where the consumer can already soak up the atmosphere and see a number of achievements. Heighlon is actually a hybrid between online and offline. This allows us to work with a very low or even zero stock, because we only produce what we need.
I suppose you have a few people who inspire and motivate you to go next level?
What inspires me most are today’s entrepreneurs. That can range from the small independent to the young start-up or the established value. Entrepreneurs who are realising something, that inspires me. On social media, I regularly come across young entrepreneurs who have already achieved a great deal. That is really admirable. I also regularly read books about business, personal development, and the like. They contain certain statements and quotes that inspire me. I often catch myself thinking too many steps ahead, which leads me to problems I want to solve in advance, but actually you just have to dare to go for it. I think that is the key of success. I graduated in 2009, when I was 24, so it took more than 10 years for heighlon to become a reality, and some people make that click after only two years or 15 to 20 years. You can’t put a date on it.
Christophe, what you are doing today, could you have started it five years ago?
I was already playing with the thoughts, but I didn’t have the right mindset and the right contacts. I already had my digital agency, of course, but the high-end clothing sector was something else. The business is now gradually growing, both offline and online, which is becoming more and more important today due to many innovations and new technologies. Surrounding yourself with the right people is also a key to success.
Would you like to share with the readers your personal vision of where you want the world to go?
It’s very cliché what I’m about to say, but you should do what you feel good about and what you really want to build. Work should not feel like work. It should tickle, enjoy but also step out of your comfort zone a bit. Often when I talk about Heighlon, people ask why I am in fashion. That is already a wrong mindset. Entrepreneurship is more than that, it’s a whole process. You learn how people think and how companies work. You learn to think critically about areas that you have not often entered. This is the only way to create new things and grow as a human being.
Thank you Christophe and good luck with everything!
All information about Heighlon can be found here: Website Heighlon
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