Recently FashionUnited spoke with founder of Dutch fashion brand Malelions, Thijs Offermeijer, about the expansion of the brand in higher segments. With the introduction of the SS25 collection, FashionUnited contacted Offermeijer again, to learn more about the vision behind the collection in connection with wholesale and retail strategy. With the collection Malelions wants to position itself higher in their segment, and is looking for growth in international markets. The collection also marks a leap towards maturity, with the introduction of casual chic styles. The first interview is here to read.
SS25 Collection Overview: Hidden Amazon
Serving a higher segment requires thoughtful additions and a different approach. Where logo and color used to play a central role in Malelions clothing, this season they focused on a more refined look. The brand introduces an extensive selection of zip polos, knitwear t-shirts and chinos in the men’s collection, with a subtle elegance through the choice of materials. These include knitwear, towelling and seersucker; materials with an extra refinement that elevates a basic silhouette to a higher level.
Malelions serves a very broad target group, in men’s and women’s fashion, sportswear, and kids. Offermeijer describes the typical customer as someone with the following mindset: entrepreneur’s mind, athlete’s body and an artist’s soul. This target group appreciates high-quality products and is prepared to invest in quality. For women, the collection has undergone a significant development. Where there used to be overlap between the men’s and women’s collections, we now see clear, trend-based differences. New additions are bikinis, blazers and straight leg pants, silhouettes that play into the latest fashion trends. The children’s line follows the successful trends of the men’s and women’s collections, for a rounded and general family look.
The entire collections are inspired by ‘Hidden Amazon’, with different textures from the jungle and green wilderness. This collection theme also emphasizes the character of the wearer of Malelions, a modern explorer who seeks adventure.
Extensive Sports Collection
The Malelions sports collection has been expanded this season and segmented into a basic line supported by activewear. A new addition is the padel line, and due to its success, a collaboration with Dunlop will be launched in 2025. This line includes a limited edition racket and will be promoted during a padel event at the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). In addition, Malelions is launching a winter sports collection, and they are continuing the collaboration with Dutch Week, which will be available at the end of the year. This collection is in line with the positioning within a slightly higher segment, responding to the spending power of winter sports enthusiasts.
Malelions has big plans for the future. ¨Ready for more, we only just got started¨ as Offermeijer puts it. In addition to their current collaborations with Dunlop and Dutch Week, the brand is expanding internationally. Germany and Spain are the next markets they want to enter, with potential expansions to Portugal. The goal is to add one or two countries to their portfolio every year, with a focus on long-term relationships with the right partners. Offermeijer says: ¨It’s a marathon, not a sprint race¨.
Wholesale strategy and retail expansion
Malelions focuses on larger stores and multi-brand stores, with a strong emphasis on data and sales figures. Although much can be said about how sales are run by retailers, the result is always in the data, according to Offermeijer. The brand introduces shop-in-shop and soft-shop systems for better product presentation. Two stores have already installed full shop-in-shop experiences, which ensures a strong brand experience. Although Malelions can fit nicely between other brands, the goal is to stand out as unique and distinctive.
With approximately 100 different content expressions per launch, on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat and Pinterest, Malelions offers a ‘plug-and-play’ model for retailers, which ensures a seamless collaboration. According to Offermeijer, joining in with Malelions’ content marketing is essential in effective communication for retailers, to get the right consumer in the store.
Prepared for growth
With their latest SS25 collection, Malelions shows a mature and refined style that combines luxury and trends. By strategically increasing prices and using high-quality materials such as seersucker and towelling, Malelions knows how to distinguish itself. The brand, which offers men’s, women’s and children’s fashion, focuses on a broad target group that appreciates quality and likes to invest in stylish, trendy clothing. With their extensive sports collection and collaborations with Dunlop and Dutch Week, Malelions enters new markets and lays the foundation for international, long-term growth.
