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fashion
Inside the Studio of Van Der Kooij
03/06/25
Author: RIISE Team
DOCUMENTED BY: RIISE
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Taught how to sew by her grandmother, Natasha Veenhuizen always knew she wanted to create her own label. Van Der Kooij, is her grandmother's namesake and Natasha's way of honouring the women who came before her.
Driven by creativity, passion and a deep respect for the planet, each collection begins with a story - a moment, memory or feeling. Natasha remains hands-on throughout the design journey, always ensuring that pattern, fabric and colour choices are intentional. She welcomed RIISE into her space to share more about her brand, Van Der Kooij and her creative process.
RIISE: Tell us a little about yourself and how you began Van Der Kooij.
NV: I've been passionate about art and design for as long as I can remember. I knew I wanted to create my own label one day, and I always knew what it would be called: Van Der Kooij, (pronounced van-der-coy) which is my grandmother’s maiden name. My Oma taught me how to sew, and she’s been one of my biggest inspirations. Naming the brand after her is my way of honouring the women who came before me and shaped who I am. I’ve always been a nostalgic and curious person, and that sense of connection to the past definitely influences my work.
Van Der Kooij has always been driven by creativity, passion, and a deep respect for the planet. As we grow, our mission remains clear: to show that style and sustainability can (and should) coexist. We focus on ethical sourcing, conscious design, and creating meaningful connections with our customers.
RIISE: What is your creative process? Where do you draw inspiration from for a collection?
NV: Each collection begins with a story. There's always a moment, a memory, or a feeling that sparks the process. From there, we build a narrative — something meaningful that ties everything together. I’m very hands-on throughout the design journey. I still sew all the toiles myself in our studio and fabric selection and colour are incredibly important to me. I've also worked closely with my brilliant patternmaker, Linda, for over 15 years!
Our collections are shaped by a strong belief that fashion is an art form. In an era of fast fashion and mass production, I think it's important to bring craftsmanship and intention back into clothing. We should honour the time and care that goes into making something beautiful and long-lasting.
RIISE: You make incredible use of fabric in your designs. What’s your relationship with materials?
NV: Fabric is at the heart of every piece we create and is never an afterthought. We’ve built strong relationships with local suppliers and makers who help bring our vision to life. Some print our exclusive artworks, like our VII Stamp Print, others hand-dye fabrics or help us source luxurious, high-quality silks or beautiful deadstock materials that would otherwise go to waste.
Wherever possible, we avoid synthetic fibres, and we work with suppliers who allow us to purchase only what we need. This helps reduce waste and supports our slow fashion ethos.
Every Van Der Kooij garment is hand-finished in our studio, and we inscribe a record of its limited production inside each piece. It’s our way of framing each design as a collectable — something to be cherished, not discarded.
"I think it's important to bring craftsmanship and intention back into clothing. We should honour the time and care that goes into making something beautiful and long-lasting."
RIISE: What’s the story behind the Stamp Dress?
The Stamp Dress is one of our most nostalgic pieces. Its yardage print was inspired by the stamp collections my parents kept when they were growing up. Back then, stamps were almost like a visual version of social media. These tiny windows into faraway places, arriving alongside love letters and postcards from pen pals around the world.
The print, titled VII, is a collage of original artworks from past collections — a tribute to where we’ve been and how we’ve evolved. The artwork in this print is really a homage to the way we used to communicate — with intention, care and a sense of wonder.
RIISE: Why have you chosen to keep your production local to Australia, and what does that look like?
NV: We’re proudly made in Australia. Most of our production happens right here in our Melbourne studio, and when we work with external makers, we prioritise Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) accredited manufacturers.
Keeping things local helps us significantly reduce our carbon footprint and gives us greater control over quality and sustainability. It also allows us to build genuine relationships with the people we work with, which is so important to us.
As a brand, we’re always evolving and trying to make better choices. We're focused on creating pieces that last — that transcend seasons and trends. Sustainability isn’t just about the process; it’s also about making garments that people want to keep and treasure.
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Documented By: RIISE
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