Independent Amsterdam: Het Faire Oosten

FashionUnited has brought together a selection of the best independent stores in the city to discuss, once a week - the place that self sustaining stores have found amongst the ever changing retail industry.

Starting in the Dutch capital, Independent Amsterdam will visit retailers, hearing from founders and employers about their inspiration and plans for the future.

Het Faire Oosten (The Fair East), is an independent store located in the east of Amsterdam focussing on fair, ethically and locally produced products. The store offers a large collection of fashion, books, stationery, furniture, interior accessories and art for every kind of person.

Scroll over the image to learn about some of the brands Het Faire Oosten offers from founder Magali Heuberger

‘A store where you come for one thing, and leave with everything’

Founded by Magali Heuberger in 2014, due to the lack of stores offering sustainable products in an attractive environment, Het Faire Oosten is a wide open space that combines a shop, art gallery and workshop space filled with ethically produced brands.

Heuberger previously worked in Marketing and Event Concept Design and is passionate about stories and inventions from creatives around the globe, “there is a way to be sustainable with everything.” Het Faire Oosten offers a place for independent craftsmen, with sustainable and innovative ideas, and Heuberger prides herself on running the company and collaborations with “good vibes only.”

To ensure a “fair, honest and transparent” concept, Heuberger remains critical, quizzing producers with more questions ‘than the average retailer’ she is told, but as her own boss, she likes to remove any kind of facade between producers, retailers and customers.

“I don’t want to copy, or follow any other stores, I choose everything myself, following my gut instinct.” With “a sixth sense for styling, as well as really listening to customers”, Heuberger’s store remains successful into the fourth year.

Their large offering of ethically produced products attracts everybody, from 83 year-olds who come for furniture, parents who buy clothing for babies or gifts for just about anyone. Heuberger tells FashionUnited, “the most common phrase in the store is, ‘I actually came for this’...maybe a gift for a friend,’but now I’m leaving with all these things,’ there is something, if not many things for everyone to be surprised by”.

The space has a unique ambience, described as ‘warm, welcoming and cosy’ by customers, and Heuberger plans to develop this. “We will continue with our art gallery, and also add an elevator to the two workshop spaces on the 1st floor, next year.” With a strong belief in space efficiency, Heuberger’s office space furniture is on wheels and allows space for events and special workshops. The first floor also allows space to add a lunch bar, as well as a furnitured area for people to relax and meet in the next year .

Like many other independent retailers, the experience Heuberger offers in store is of utmost importance, “we can tell a product story, and have a real conversation with customers.” “I want to build on sustainability, educate even more visitors and I prefer to do this face to face,” she comments, telling FashionUnited that despite online presence with a website and social media, Het Faire Oosten is not likely to sell products online in the future.

“Money is not the reason I started Het Faire Oosten, and in my opinion selling online is not necessary unless you want to make more money.” Also, with a variety of independent sources, some products are one-off designs and are unable to be reordered, let alone be stocked online. “This surprises customers, but I think embodies the nature of the store. We have a range that is filled with exclusive, independently produced products, and my team and I are against predictability and boredom,” Heuberger concludes.

Het Faire Oosten can be found at Waldenlaan 208 in Amsterdam and online at hetfaireoosten.nl.

Photos courtesy of Het Faire Oosten

Look out for the final recap piece of the Independent Amsterdam series, posted next Thursday September 7 on FashionUnited UK.