Natan exhibition: the designer of queens and princesses

In 1983, the Natan house closed its doors, with the retirement of Paul Natan. Despite everything, loyal customers still come to the store and ask Edouard Vermeulen if he could create this or that model. This is the beginning of the adventure in the world of fashion.

In 1986, the first parade took place in the presence of Princess Paola. And the following year Natan’s first ready-to-wear boutique opened. In 1999, it was the public “consecration” for Edouard Vermeulen who was chosen to create the wedding dress of Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz.

Queen Mathilde is not his only Gotha client. Natan also designed the wedding dress of Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and Claire Coombs. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and especially Queen Maxima of the Netherlands are among her frequent customers.

Edward Vermeulen. © DR.

On the day of the abdication of her mother-in-law Queen Beatrix, Maxima of the Netherlands wore a creation by Edouard Vermeulen in the morning. We also keep in mind the very beautiful evening dresses of Queen Mathilde and her white dress on the day of King Philippe’s swearing-in on July 21, 2013 or the evening outfit of Alexandra Moncada, daughter of Princess Esmeralda during of the Debutante Ball in Paris.

It is not uncommon to see queens Mathilde and Maxima wearing the same outfits since they also regularly buy in stores. They understand very well that these duplicates can occur.

Crown Princess Elisabeth caused a sensation last month in Copenhagen in a strapless evening dress during the eighteenth birthday of Prince Christian of Denmark.

A store was opened in Amsterdam in 2016. In 2017, King Philippe awarded the title of baron to Edouard Vermeulen for his commitment to the promotion of Belgium. The expansion continues abroad with, in 2020, the inauguration of the Parisian boutique on rue des Saints-Pères and a pop-up store at Bon Marché.

Maison Natan has been a patented supplier to the Royal Court of Belgium since 2000. The exhibition presents fifty models (we do not find models worn by the Queen) in the wake of last July’s parade which took place at the prestigious Salm Hotel in Paris. When you leave, you can leaf through a book-album of nearly 300 pages retracing the history of the house through testimonials and numerous photos of models over the years. Queen Paola sent a message for Natan’s 40th birthday.

Royal Palace of Brussels, December 4, 1999. Surrounded by their respective parents, Philippe and Mathilde pose for their wedding. A historic day for the Belgian fashion designer Édouard Vermeulen, to whom we owe the sumptuous dress of the future queen. ©DR.

Espace Vanderborght – Rue de l’Ecuyer, 50 – 1000 Brussels