Fred de la Bretonière: “My shoes and bags are designed to make you feel better. Every step you take, my products become a part of you. My designs underpin your personality, like a pair of jeans that becomes more and more precious to you, the more you wear it.”
Fred de la Bretonière’s signature reflects ageless nonchalance. Feminine, cool, yet elegant. His designs may seem simple at first sight, but they pair quality with sustainability. The classic basis of the designs is subtly supplemented with trendy details.
Many Fred de la Bretoniere products are made with leather that has been tanned with vegetable products; a treatment that leaves the leather sturdy and robust, but still sufficiently supple to work with.
The treatment makes the leather look even more beautiful as it ages. Every Fred de la Bretoniere bag and each pair of shoes has a soul that complements the soul of the user. “It’s like with a pair of jeans that becomes more and more precious to you, the more you wear it. That why: a sole for every soul.

Origin
Fred de la Bretonière has been a household name in the world of fashion for well over forty years. Fred de la Bretonière pairs traditional quality with great attention to detail and materials. His simple, nonchalant and robust designs have gained a solid place in the world of fashion.
Let’s have a look at the career of the unique Fred de la Bretonière (Amsterdam, 23 December 1944).
Early life
Early on, Fred proved to have a creative personality, with a strong interest in technology. The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague proved a suitable education for him. After graduating, he had a few exhibitions, yet Fred soon knew that this was not his goal in life. As an artist, Fred was intrigued by femininity and he started to look for ways in which he could add something to the female physique. In the 1960ies he took this vision and started to experiment with shoe and bag designs that women liked and that they wanted to wear and keep, year after year. It becomes his big passion. His designs were immediately picked up by consumers and major department stores.

History
1970
Fred shows his designs to purchasers at De Bijenkorf department store. They are so keen that they order 600 bags straight away. Fred has the bags made by squatters in Amsterdam. With his designs and his progressive working methods Fred draws the attention of the (international) press and soon Fred de la Bretonière becomes a well-known designer of bags and footwear. In 1970 he opens his first shop at St. Luciensteeg in Amsterdam.
1976
Fred is named Best Dutch Shoe and Bags Designer. In the fashion scene he becomes so significant that various museums in the Netherlands include his first original designs in their art collections. The designs by Fred de la Bretonière are kept as style icons.
2004
Fred goes back to the casual, nonchalant boots he made in the 1980ies and adds Shabbies Amsterdam, a unique, ageless footwear line, to his collection.
2010
In his jubilee year, Fred is presented with an Award from the Italian footwear industry that celebrates, honours and encourages craftsmanship, because of his long, successful career and his commercial significance. He is admitted to the Cavalry of the Order of Santi Crispino e Crispiano, the Italian patron saints of the shoe and leather industry.
2012
Fred launches an idea that he has been playing with for years: Fretons. Sneakers made of supple leather, with a sporty look, a raw edge or a playful detail. A new Fred face, but with familiar elements.
Today
The brands Fred de la Bretoniere and Shabbies Amsterdam together form a complete collection with a likeable image and a classic touch. The team of designers also create bags, belts, small leather products and accessories. Creative sketches are turned into affordable high grade products that are made in Europe, with great attention to detail. The touch of the master is always visible: every single item has the simplicity that is so typical of Fred de la Bretonière.
Fred de la Bretonière has grown from an arty and rebellious one-man business into a serious, international company. Fred de la Bretonière is a household name both domestically and abroad, with twelve stores and a rapidly expanding number of shop-in-shops.

About Fred de la Bretonière
The great strength of the Fred de la Bretoniere collection lies in the use of natural materials, used for ageless designs. The line is characterized by simplicity, elegance and a feminine cool, with attention for comfort and neat finishing. The focus on details and the finishing call for a lot a manual craftsmanship. Furthermore, the Fred de la Bretoniere collection is characterized by the use of animal prints, ranging from crocodile to python.