Master Thesis: MA Cultural Economics & Cultural Entrepreneurship Title: When Creativity Stops and Reality Kicks In: an Evolu

Master thesis: MA Cultural economics & Cultural entrepreneurship Title: When creativity stops and reality kicks in: an evolutionary view on fashion entrepreneurship in the Netherlands and Belgium. Student: Eve-Marie Kuijstermans Studentnumber: 285889 Supervisor: MA. C. Handke Second reader: D. Noordman Date: August, 2008. 1 Preface I would like to thank the designers and key figures who helped me. Without them this would not have been possible. Special thanks goes out to Mariette Hoitink for introducing me to interesting people in the field of Dutch fashion. Thank you, Annick Geenen, Raf Simons, Tinne van Asbroeck and Robbie Snelders, for getting me in touch with relevant Belgian keyfigures and designers. Thanks to: Jessica Joyce, Monique van Heist, Sander Lak, Marcha Hüskes, Marieke den Mulder, Edwin Oudshoorn, Sjaak Hullekes, Sebastiaan Kramer, Sanne Schrijver, Iris van Herpen, Orpheo Jungst, Daryl van Wouw, Catta Donkersloot, Conny Groenewegen (I enjoyed our correspondation), Maartje Dijkstra, Antoine Peters (for having me over 2 times), Geert-Jan Renzen, Mada van Gaans, Mattijs van Bergen, Delia Drel, Eva van Overbeeke, Jan Taminiau, Suzan Jacobs, Joline Jolink, Nick Rosenboom, Djovrie Krüs, Famke de Ruiter, Wieteke van Riet, Melanie Rozema, Kelly Konings, Francisco van Benthum, Ankie Winkelman-de Groot, Lily Houben, Marga Weimans (for our correspondation too), Demna Gvasalia, Sophie Pillen, Carolin Lerch (Pelican Avenue), Daisy Plas, Tom de Poortere, Keith Hioco, Aline Walther, Astrid van Damme, Julie de Taeye, Marko Galovich, Peter Pilotto, Christopher de Vos, Marisa Leipert, Marion Michel, Marijke de Cock, Alexandra Mein, Christian Wijnants, Tom Notte, Bart Vandebosch, Jessie Lecomte, Tim Coppens, Kanya Miki, Lucas and Aaron Mäthger (LA Mäthger), Veronique Branquinho (Ann Claes), Nele Feyen, Kentroy Yearwood, Evelien DeCeuninck, Bob van Opstal, Christophe Mollet, David Flamée, Matthijs Boelee (for introducing me to Angelique Westerhof), H.J. Stuyling de Lange, Simone Janssens (Fashion Desk), Lex ter Braak, Lucie Huiskens, Daniëlle Wanders (Artist Enterprise), Anne Chapelle, Raïssa Verhaeghe, Nico Vranckaert and Angelique Westerhof. Also I would like to thank my supervisor Christian Handke for his excellent guidance. Writing this thesis was a lang process. Thanks for keeping me confident and positive! Bert, thank you for all your support, I love you! Mum and dad, thanks for everything. Monique, you have been my best friend and support throughout my study. I hope for life! Esther Dijkstra, thank you for designing the artwork for this thesis. 2 List of figures Text: Figure 1.1 Model of entrepreneurial behaviour Figure 1.2 Sources of external finance Figure 1.3 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch and Belgians) Appendices: Appendix I: Figure 4.1 Public and private support for fashion designers in the Netherlands Figure 4.2 Public and private support for fashion designers in Belgium Appendix III: Figure 1.1 Set of closed questions Dutch respondents Figure 1.2 Set of closed questions Belgian respondents Figure 1 Population of Dutch designers Figure 2 Population of Belgian designers Table 4.1 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch and Belgian entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs) Table 4.2 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch and Belgian entrepreneurs) Table 4.3 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch entrepreneurs and non- entrepreneurs) Table 4.4 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch entrepreneurs) Table 4.5 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Dutch non-entrepreneurs) Table 4.6 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Belgian entrepreneurs and non- entrepreneurs) Table 4.7 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Belgian entrepreneurs) Table 4.8 Mean score successfactors interviewees (Belgian non-entrepreneurs) List of abbreviations ArtEZ: Arnhem Academy for Arts and Design, department fashion DFF: Dutch Fashion Foundation FFI: Flanders Fashion Institute FIA: Fashion Institute Arnhem Fonds BKVB: Fund for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture RAFA: Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp. WWIK: Wet Werk en Inkomen Kunstenaars (social security for artists) Keywords Fashion design, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial success, successfactors, evolution, government support, external finance, education, Belgium, the Netherlands. 3 Content: Abstract 7 Introduction 8 Chapter 1: Entrepreneurship 1.1 Studies on entrepreneurship 1.1.1 Definitions 12 1.1.2 Theories on entrepreneurship 13 1.1.3 Entrepreneurial resourcefulness model 14 1.2 Characteristics of entrepreneurs 1.2.1 Understanding entrepreneurial behaviour 16 1.2.2 Character traits of entrepreneurs 17 1.3 Skills of entrepreneurs 1.3.1 Push and pull factors 18 1.3.2 Entrepreneurial skills 19 1.3.2.1 External finance 20 1.3.2.2 The role of education and training 21 1.3.2.3 Fashion education models 22 1.4 An evolutionary view on entrepreneurship 1.4.1 Evolutionary approach 23 1.4.2 Variation, selection, retention 23 1.4.3 Instititutional approach 25 1.5 Conclusions 25 Chapter 2: Creative entrepreneurship 2.1 Entrepreneurship in the creative industries 2.1.1 Definitions 27 2.1.2 Stages of entrepreneurship 28 2.1.3 Critical factors for starting an enterprise 29 2.1.4 Problems of creative entrepreneurs 31 2.1.5 The role of entrepreneurship education 32 2.1.6 Promoting entrepreneurship in the arts 34 2.2 Fashion design 2.2.1 What is successful fashion design? 35 2.2.2 Design skills 35 2.2.3 Four types of fashion designers 36 2.2.4 Starting a designer label 38 2.3 Conclusions 38 Chapter 3: Methodology and framework 3.1 The research design 40 3.2 Operationalisation 41 3.3 Area of research 3.3.1 Success factors 42 3.3.2 Two academies 43 3.3.3 The graduates (1993-2006) 43 3.3.4 Different forms of external finance 44 3.4 Sample and respons 44 4 3.5 Methods of data collection 3.5.1 Snowball method 46 3.6 Question list 47 3.7 Face-to-face interviews 47 3.8 Method of analysis 48 3.9 Validity and reliability 48 3.10 Limitations 49 3.11 Time path 50 Chapter 4: Dutch and Belgian fashion design: results part I 4.1 Success factors 51 4.2 Different forms of support 54 4.3 Difficulties of Dutch and Belgian fashion entrepreneurs 4.3.1 Difficult transition from academy to industry 55 4.3.1.1 Working in confection 55 4.3.1.2 Starting an own label 56 4.3.2 Production 62 4.3.3 Circulation and structure 63 4.3.4 Financing 65 4.3.5 Entrepreneurship 66 4.4 Conclusions 69 Chapter 5: Education: results part II 5.1 Arnhem Academy for Fine Arts and Design (ArtEZ) 5.1.1 Educating entrepreneurship: bachelor 71 5.1.2 Educating entrepreneurship: Master 74 5.1.3 Perception 76 5.2 Antwerp Royal Academy for Fine Arts 5.2.1 Educating entrepreneurship 81 5.2.2 Perception 83 5.3 Evolutionary approach on differences in education 5.3.1 Different reactions 88 5.3.2 Variation, selection, retention 89 5.4 Conclusions: answer research question: part I 91 Chapter 6: Access to external finance: results part III 6.1 The Dutch financing environment 93 6.1.1 The Dutch subsidy system 94 6.1.1.1 Fashion as art: the Viktor & Rolf- effect 95 6.1.2 Experiences of Dutch fashion entrepreneurs 97 6.1.2.1 Art as a strategy: the Viktor & Rolf-effect 100 6.1.3 Banks and fashion 103 6.1.3.1 Experiences of Dutch fashion entrepreneurs 104 6.1.4 Other forms of financing 107 6.2 The Belgian financing environment 108 6.2.1 The Belgian subsidy system 109 6.2.1.1 Fashion as a commercial activity 110 6.2.2 Experiences of Belgian fashion entrepreneurs 6.2.2.1 Commercial behaviour as a strategy 112 5 6.2.3 Banks and fashion 113 6.2.3.1 Experiences of Belgian fashion entrepreneurs 114 6.2.4 Other forms of financing 115 6.3 Initiatives in fashion investment 6.3.1 CultuurInvest and Tax Shelter 116 6.3.2 Experiences of Belgian fashion entrepreneurs 117 6.3.3 Co-Lab 119 6.3.4 The relevance for Dutch fashion entrepreneurs 120 6.4 Evolutionary approach on differences in access to external finance 6.4.1 Different reactions 121 6.4.2 Variation, selection, retention 122 6.5 Conclusions: answer research question: part II 123 Chapter 7- Conclusions: an evolutionary approach 7.1 The Netherlands 7.1.1 Variation 125 7.1.2 Selection 125 7.1.3 Retention 126 7.1.4 Path-dependency 126 7.2 Belgium 7.2.1 Variation 127 7.2.2 Selection 128 7.2.3 Retention 7.3 Recommendations 129 References 130 Appendix I 139 Appendix II 148 Appendix III 152 6 Abstract Internationally, the Dutch fashion industry is of modest importance. Although the Netherlands has a large pool of talented young fashion designers, and although many young promising fashion designers graduate from fashion academies each year, only very few ever become and remain to be successful in the international fashion world. How can this be explained? In order to find out what is ‘wrong’ with the Dutch fashion industry, one could look at Belgium. The Belgian fashion industry has delivered numerous successful fashion designers. Young designers seem to be on the brink of stepping in the footsteps of very successful designers like Dries van Noten or Ann Demeulemeester. Through a qualitative research with quantitative elements, this thesis attempts to explain the difference in commercial success between Dutch and Belgian fashion designers from a evolutionary perspective. The focus lies on two aspects of the fashion industry specifically: education and access to external finance. While differences in education are not such that they can account for differences in commercial success completely, several important differences in access to external finance can be held accountable. It appears that in order to obtain financial resources, Dutch and Belgian fashion designers follow very different paths.

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