Conférence de M. Bert Van Son
Réconcilier l'industrie de la mode
avec l'environnement

Séminaire L1 | Jeudi 12 avril 2018 | De 15h00 à 16h30
Amphi, bât. A, El Ghazela

Biographie Bert van Son

business man

Bert van Son, originally from the Netherlands, worked in the fashion industry in both Asia and Europe for thirty years before founding MUD Jeans. Bert van Son is a battle-hardened business man, one of the industry’s old hands. After studying business management, he left to work in the textiles industry in Taipei at the age of just 23. After three years in China, Bert spent three years in Hong Kong before a sojourn in Paris. He founded his first company in northern France. For the past 10 years, Bert has owned a company which is licensed to produce Disney’s t-shirts and pajamas. He’s spent 30 years moving from one place to another all over the world, and returned to the Netherlands where he founded MUD Jeans in 2012, the first circular denim brand.

We make jeans following the principles of the circular economy. We design high-quality jeans that last a long time and can be up-cycled or recycled after use. This is a way to “clean up our own mess” as we like to say. With our innovative business model, we have made the transition from fast fashion to slow fashion. We are also proud to play an exemplary role in the clothing industry. As a pioneer in the circular economy and sustainable fashion, MUD Jeans is often a source of inspiration for teaching materials, the subject of numerous papers and a role model for the younger generations. In 2016, MUD Jeans reached break-even for the first time since its establishment in 2012. This can be seen as a proof of concept that a circular business model is not only socially but also economically justified.