Region Clothing: The Founder's Story (So Far)

Today, I describe myself as a multidisciplinary creative and strategist working across fashion, culture and sport.

I was born in Amsterdam in 1997 and grew up in the Wiltshire countryside in England. Having both British and Belgian nationality gave me a multicultural upbringing that I'm incredibly grateful for.

As a child, I was always drawn to two things: creativity and sport. During a family holiday to Devon, when I was around ten years old, I was unexpectedly enrolled in a surf lesson. I absolutely loved it. Because we didn’t live by the coast, skateboarding became the closest thing to surfing I could do at home. Before long, I was spending most weekends at the local skatepark.

What attracted me wasn't just the sport itself. Skateboarding and surfing are inherently creative pursuits. Creativity exists in the tricks, the lines people choose, the style they develop and the culture that surrounds them. They reward individuality and self-expression.

Without realising it, this became the gateway to my creativity. I bought a camera to film my friends skateboarding and became fascinated by the visual culture surrounding these sports. I still remember buying my first copy of Wavelength magazine from WHSmith and being completely captivated by what I saw inside. The photography, graphic design, storytelling and branding all felt incredibly exciting.

Starting Region

In 2012, when I was 15 years old, I launched Region Clothing. The idea came from a graphic design class at school. We were tasked with creating promotional material for a music-themed project. While most students designed posters or album artwork, I decided to create printed t-shirts. I enjoyed the process so much that I didn't want it to end when the project finished. Instead, I took the idea outside the classroom and applied it to my two biggest interests at the time: skateboarding and surfing.

The first collection consisted of a handful of sweatshirts and graphic tees printed locally in Wiltshire. The designs were simple but bold, often featuring the initials "RGN" and graphics I had pieced together using the limited Photoshop skills I had learned at school. I showed a few friends some early mock-ups and received encouraging feedback. That was all the motivation I needed to keep going.

Over the next few years, the collection expanded into hoodies, jackets, beanies and what would become some of Region's most popular products: five-panel caps. Trips to the skatepark and the coast suddenly took on a new purpose. My friends became models. I became the photographer. Every session turned into content for the website and social media.

London Calling

Between the ages of 16 and 18, I studied Photography, Graphic Design and Illustration, and ICT at college. Those years were significant. I went from being a student who was academically uninspired to someone who became deeply invested in learning.

A visit to the London College of Communication played a major role in that shift. Seeing the work being produced there left a huge impression on me and motivated me to take my studies seriously.

Interestingly, all five of my university applications were for Graphic Design. I believed it was the most useful subject for developing Region. In many ways, my identity was inseparable from the brand. At school, many people simply knew me as "the guy who made clothes".

Following an interview at Camberwell College of Arts, my portfolio somehow found its way to the course leader of Creative Direction for Fashion at London College of Fashion. I hadn't applied for the course. I didn't even know it existed.

One day I received an email inviting me for an interview. To this day, I believe the Region project caught his attention because it was the only fashion-related work in my portfolio. What are the chances? I had always wanted to live in London, so I took the opportunity. Looking back, Region arguably played a significant role in getting me there.

Expanding My World

Studying Creative Direction for Fashion introduced me to entirely new ways of thinking. The cultural and historical studies delivered above Oxford Street challenged many of my assumptions about fashion, consumerism and creativity. I was introduced to the environmental and social consequences of the industry through documentaries such as The True Cost and developed a much more critical perspective.

It was also where I first encountered technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality. I created a virtual reality experience for Cubitts and an augmented reality retail concept for RÆBURN, and worked on projects for brands including Hunter Boots and Microsoft.

I also completed an Erasmus exchange at La Cambre in Brussels. Despite classes being delivered entirely in French, I embraced the challenge and loved every minute of it. The experience reinforced my desire to live and work abroad.

That ambition eventually took me to Switzerland and Austria.

From Region to the World and Back Again

After graduating, I worked at On in Zurich before joining Red Bull Media House, AlphaTauri and later KISKA in Salzburg.

Each experience taught me something different. Photography. Content production. Brand building. Product development. Athlete marketing. Campaign planning. Storytelling. Without realising it, I was gathering many of the skills I would later use to relaunch Region.

Although the brand was put on hold during this period, the desire to create something of my own never disappeared. Then one day, while scrolling Instagram, I came across a t-shirt design created by a former KISKA colleague, Alice Constant. I loved it. I reached out and asked if she would be interested in creating something for Region. The result became the Region Origins T-Shirt and the relaunch of the brand in 2026, fourteen years after it first began.

See our previous blog post for more information about the Region Origins T-Shirt and our collaboration with Alice Constant.

Looking Forward

Today, Region continues to be shaped by the same curiosity and creativity that inspired it in 2012.

The difference is that both the brand and I have evolved. While Region began through skateboarding and surfing, it now draws inspiration from cycling, running, hiking, padel and outdoor movement in all its forms.

The goal remains simple: Create thoughtful, high-quality products. Collaborate with like-minded creatives and designers. Tell meaningful stories. And have plenty of fun along the way. That’s what we call: #FreedomToCreate

If you've read this far, thank you for being part of the journey. We're only just getting started!