The fashion king of Kortrijk. The West Flemish Armani. The Flying Tailor. Dominique Vindevogel flies around the world to dress the jet set. His brother Yvan was co-founder of Omega-Pharma. He left it in 1994, after which he developed his own empire. They saved their very first interview together for Luxury Leads.
Yvan Vindevogel again dismissed the question three times. "I only give interviews about my business. But never about myself. Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés." That works. For the lady who drinks a cocktail on this sunny Wednesday afternoon in Sprezza, the man on whom the photographer directs his lens is an illustrious stranger. The bar is located in the Damier hotel in Kortrijk, which Vindevogel bought from the Beaulieu group in 2011 and restored to its former glory. "Shortly before, my wife and I were at the Plaza Athenée Hotel in Paris at a meeting of top people from the European pharmaceutical industry," he says. I'd like to organize events like that," she said. This is the oldest hotel in Belgium. It dates from 1398. I love the spirit you find in old buildings. My companies are now organising their events here. There's a feeling of home. Horeca is a nice but underestimated business. You always have to work with the smile, for guys who aren't always easy. And it's not easy to make money with it. But you also meet people there. And eating with business associates in your own historic hotel: it adds something to your credibility and reputation. And my reputation is my most important asset," he says. "That's what I'm selling."
"The same applies to me, says Dominique, who walks in punctually and cheerfully, right from the airport. "Today I haven't lost a minute - that's a bit of a disappointment," he laughs. Almost half of his time the Flying Tailor is abroad. By way of illustration, he is reviewing his agenda for March. Tomorrow he will fly to Morocco, where he will measure some members of the royal family the day after tomorrow. "I'll be back on Saturday. Sunday and Monday I meet some Indians here. The daughter of one of my best customers - diamond company Rosy Blue - has just married an Ambani: India's richest family; they own the most expensive apartment in the world. Tuesday I fly to Istanbul, where we develop a collection and I will meet customers. Then there are five days in Belgium, after which I go to Miami to work with the small, artisan watch brand FP Journe. After a stop in Istanbul I fly on to Kuwait, for two big lunches.
It was Indian diamond dealer Ashit Mehta who said five years ago: "You have to fly around the world to dress busy businessmen," he laughs.
Alchemist
They're close, the Finds. Until Dominique thirteenwas they slept together. "Everyone had his room,but we'd rather be together, talking. I'mwas mainly focused on sports, Yvan more on studying,and make stink bombs in our bigcellar. Until Father's entire practice smelled of it.He was an ophthalmologist."
"And on gin!", throws Yvan in between. He's got something artistic.Something Arno-like, but the business version.
"Even when I was ten, I took plants from the garden toto extract, macerate and distil", sayshim. "That's how I started studying pharmacy. Here comesthe launch of Copperhead in 2014 actually...away. I perform best when I'm on a beach...or so. I get all kinds of raids. And somewherevacation I read in Humo about the gin craze, and howgin in the 18th and 19th centuries as a medicinal productwas prepared by alchemists. I was thrown backto my youth, when I was myself perfumes andcreated aromas."From Copperhead, which is sold internationally- "we have to be in the best bars in the world."- he owns half the shares. The otheris half of Stephan Bettens, the man behind JetImport with whom he launched the gin. Finchis chairman of the board of directors. "In the bottlethe Latin spell Consolans potio fortuna refers toinventa (medicinal beverage, accidentally discovered) tothe alchemists, the snake to pharmacists", sayshim. "Of course, it's also marketing. But also completelyMe." Right away he shows the "functional blends.that he thought of with it. "Not bitters, but dietary supplements",he says. "They don't serve the tastebut the functionality of the product. There is theappetizing Aperitivum, the Digestivum that thepromotes digestion, and an Energetic. Soyou make your own elexir of life."
"He's the best marketer you can come across",says Dominique.
Timide
"We grew up in a family atmosphere. With a lot of sports. And possessed by horses. At the age of seven we started to drive. Every weekend we did jumping. Our father was proud and if we won it was party time - and we won a lot. That's where our winner's instinct comes from, I guess." "Father always bought not obvious horses," Yvan laughs. "Make it good, he said. You can, if the bloodline's right. Once we had one that bit and hit, but you won everything with it," "We got a lot - love too. But what we did we had to do right," says Dominique. For him, a career as a jockey, which was crippled by a major accident at the age of 17, attracted a great deal of attention. "Actually it was my dream to become a veterinarian, specialized in jumping horses, but that training was a bit too difficult. He studied optics but started working for Omega Pharma, which Yvan founded together with his fellow pharmacist Frank Degeyter. "Before, I had only started making shampoos.", says Yvan. "The shampoo business was later integrated into Omega Pharma and Marc Coucke became a shareholder. We produced our own shampoos and sold them in five-litre bottles. The pharmacists filled it up and stuck their own name on it. Compared to branded shampoos, they had five times as much margin. The first weeks I went on the track myself, in a rowing, overloaded Renault R18. But I don't really like selling: I'm too timid for that - especially then. Dominique is a hundred times better at it. He was the best salesman Omega Pharma ever had, just ask Marc Coucke. Every day he returned with a pile of order forms. (Laughs) The shampoo business was later integrated into Omega Pharma.
"I too am timid," says Dominique. "But passion makes that hunger disappear. I never get in anywhere by myself. I need someone to introduce me. But five minutes later I don't need the other one anymore and I'm the most social person." Yvan: "A lot of actors are also timid in the usual way. But once they're on the shelves, they just get extroverted. A kind of passionate counter-reaction.
We're both commercial and technical," says Dominique. "I can only sell a product if I know how it works from start to finish and if I can answer every question. Many of our competitors had ordinary representatives who had no say in their product," says Yvan. "All that mattered was the sales pitch: twelve plus two for free. I really trained my salespeople: the pharmacists had to know that our product was much better. I never went to pharmacies as a salesman, but rather as technical support for the product," says Dominique. "And I assure you, better dressed than any other. I saw that the right clothes make you sell more," they also agree: "Preparation is everything. And that starts with how you get dressed in the morning."
Rolling
Yet there was a hitch in the cable. "I worked on commission and made a lot of money. When the commission was to be adjusted, I left. I had already used Omega Pharma's warehouses to organise stock sales, and I wanted to do more than that."
"Then I said, go for what you really want," says Yvan. "Our mother had two boutiques
in Kortrijk," explains Dominique. "That's where my love for beautiful things is rooted. I just like working alone, too. I can organize myself very well. But as soon as one person comes along, I lose focus. Now I have a team, from Mexico to Miami across London, where my son Robin runs the business. But for the top end, like the assignment for the royals in Morocco, I never send anyone else. Yvan's much better at delegating. That's my biggest flaw. It's stronger than me." "I have
to," it sounds. "Vemedia-Cooper employs 1,200 people. At Vision Healthcare 280, maybe 500 by the end of this year. Now we're taking over four companies at once, after eight last year. Of course, you can't do all that yourself. Besides, I'm very impatient. I want everything to happen right away. That'll get me ahead, but there's also dangers in it.
Although we only care about eleven months, Yvan's role as an older brother has always remained intact," says Dominique. "A lot of people think he's the oldest," Yvan smiles. "But yes, we support each other. I've brought in a lot of customers. The Copperhead team also wears Dominique suits,"
"I listen to him more than he does to me," says the youngest. "Also because I look up to him. With 1,500 euros, Yvan built an empire. The American Dream in West Flanders. He advises me but doesn't impose himself. He relies on my commercial instinct - and that I will always end up on my feet. But if Yvan wants the last word, he'll get it." They talk a lot about what binds them. But what can tell them apart? "We've never considered doing business together," says Dominique. "The role of younger brother would be difficult for business. Yvan is also less emotional than I am, more calculated, and at times very hard." "
In my industry, it's eating or being eaten", it sounds across the street. "Then you can't have emotions. Or in any case, you have to be able to take them out. Once I had to fire a good friend."
Guru
Dominique does not find a Dutch alternative to the Flying Tailor. "Tailor is not the word. Producing some 400 external artisans for Butch. The corporate clothing is made in Turkey, the handmade tailor-made suits in Italy. There is a lot of craftsmanship in suits. Training people yourself takes a long time. And everything changes very quickly, even in tailoring," he doesn't think 'designer' is the right word either. "I work more technically. As a kind of person enhancer, I have a good visual memory: I can scan someone with the naked eye and give them measurements. And I analyse you like a doctor. We were all born naked, but with clothes you can hide a lot of your lesser sides. That's the core: bringing out the best in someone. See how my suit was cut? That's anything but a banker's look. But I do work for bankers. I'll make them appear differently. They look better and get more compliments. And with the right compliment, you'll perform better. You'll get a boost of self-confidence.
"If I analyze these people correctly, they could become customers for life. And that's what I'm all about: building a long-term relationship. I'm there 24/7 to support my customers in their business and I'm a kind of Gentleman's Wardrobe with direct access. You know," he says, "I meet a lot of people with a strong personality among my customers, but also a lot of shy people. Before I start on a suit, I'll talk to them. Why do you need suits? How do you feel about it? And it's always give and take, but I'll try to impose a little bit of my will. How did he get all his contacts? "I don't know. One knows the other, so it seems. I'm especially lucky to have hundreds of people allowing me to do that. That's an important factor. I have to do zero prospecting. I've been called. He once dropped that he actually does this in order to be able to travel all the time. "I do need the continuous supply of new customers," he admits. "And Belgium is quite saturated. But when I travel, I want to return with more money than when I left. Now, the flying, the hotel suites where I receive customers, the lunches: it does cost a lot of money, but the company is very profitable.
After he took over Butch Tailors, the company grew to ten stores. "This has now been reduced to eight, which I want to reduce to four. There's a lot of competition from the Internet. Retail and the much more exclusive tailoring leg are now being pulled apart, and the focus is on the latter. "I'm a worker. I'm the grocer who wants to be in his shop."
"I want to reduce the size of the company and give a nice gift to my youngest son Robin, who now works for me in London. He's less commercial than I am, but he's organisationally strong. I want to create a kind of wholesale concept with offices in Mexico, New York, London, Dubai and Hong Kong, where he can train and motivate others to work for him. The oldest, Anthony, is more into music. I want to end my life with a small number of top clients, whom I advise," he says. "And travel around like a lifestyle guru to eat and drink." (laughs)
Dimensional vitamins
"I've never worked, or at least I've never worked.I had a feeling that I was working," the older brother laughs."Dominique doesn't do this because he has to. And I've beenCertainly not. But if I don't do anything, I get stressed. Now,In a year's time, I don't want a fully operationalrole more. I want to be some kind of executive chairman,and a coach for the managers. Everyone says thatthat's not gonna work, but I'm gonna try anyway."
That does not prevent his ambitions from being high. Reduceis not an immediate issue here. "With Visionwe now want to become the European leader in directto consumer healthcare - America will follow laterand Asia. We're the only one who's currently consoIs lying down. This is precisely why the takeovers must be carried out quickly....go. I want to try to get by the end of thisyears to double the turnover and get him in two,three years at 500 million to a billion euros to...bring it in. But the first ambition remains: to create something,put something together. The scale is subordinate.But we have to be world leaders."
Dominique remains far away from e-commerce. "Thereis little or no profit. You have to do everything in marketingstop and build up huge stocks. With theFlying Tailor, I only produce what I sell.The fabric is stored in our depot or at the suppliers' premises:I don't take it until I need it. What must becan be basic pieces such as a shirt onlineorder. But no wardrobe. One yearchange you a lot. Appearance, but for examplealso from job."
"You have the ultimate, personalized and directcontact with the consumer," says Yvan. "That's also...the tendency for us to have custom-made vitamins and so on."
Red
They like to talk about their successes. Both of them. And at the same time, over and above each other. But what's their biggest mistake? "I wouldn't stay in Belgium anymore," says Dominique. "Belgium is nice, but I could never be here alone. It was my dream to live in New York or London. I love the chaos of those metropolises and return with an enormous amount of energy each time. But Isabelle, my wife, wants more rest. I never get tired of travelling, no. My physique is good. I find short flights the most difficult. Yvan Vindevogel is often referred to in the press as the man who stepped out of Omega Pharma far too early and for a trifle. "That's bullshit," he says. "Never ever have I regretted that decision. Vemedia might be worth as much as Omega Pharma. I thought
it was a smart move at the time", his brother joins him. "Selling was his dream. And he was thirty. Marc Coucke's a cracker, you know. Hat off. But he was at a huge risk. If it had gone wrong, no one would have talked about it. When I bought Vemedia a few years later, I also got ten million euros in the red," says Yvan. "Explaining that to your wife when you crawl into bed at night is not obvious. Well, I take risks, but always calculated." "Our uncle Dirk recently said: you should know how scared your father was when you started Omega Pharma", remembers Dominique. "Daddy was a doctor, not a businessman, hey. And he really didn't have to be afraid. With Omega Pharma, we never made a loss. Jamais.
The worst thing that happened to me was being cheated on by a business partner," says Yvan. "I give a lot of trust and am very altruistic: sometimes I think more of other people's money than of mine. But there were partners who only thought of themselves and that trust was damaged. I didn't have enough human knowledge back then. My wife felt something like that very well. Grass
A year before he died in 2007, their father had a brain haemorrhage in Thailand. "Before he was repatriated, Yvan and I stayed together in a hotel in Bangkok, The Sukhothai, for a week," Dominique says. "That's when I grew up. It was just the two of us sitting there and there was nothing we could do. Suddenly there was time for reflection. Thinking about life and realizing how quickly it can be over."
"Health is your greatest wealth. Everything else basically goes by itself," says Yvan. When they're at their happiest? "When I meditate at home at half past five in the morning in my white room, with classical music, and walk on my bare feet in the grass," says Dominique. "That's my moment. Getting to know new, fine people can also make me intensely happy, like when I recently organized a lunch in New York. During and
after football with my son, here in Kortrijk", says Yvan. "Fantastic is that. We're on a team with an electrician, a dentist, a train driver,... I'll have myself replaced after half an hour. A big deal is nice, but when I have to sign, I'm already working on the next one. The hunt is more fun than the catch." And what is the luxury that doesn't get used to? "The freedom to do what you want," says Dominique. "Time", says Yvan. "And independence. Our father always said: whoever takes my freedom, gets his freedom back. You have to think about that."
Cars are of little use to them. "I will be happy to help a customer put together his new Bentley," says Dominique. "But a passion is not." And Yvan: "I have already asked at least 300 people to buy a classic and to participate in the Zoute Grand Prix. I'm not gonna do that because everyone else does, huh? I've almost been defeated in an old Fiat before.
By the way: you n'ai besoin the personne, je roule and Harley Davidson. Another spell from our father."
Photography by: Boa.be
