This news shows that Oilily has completely gone bankrupt and we will never get its wears from now on, doesn't it?

By Rosemary | May 4, 2009 4:09 AM

Oilily USA stores continue business!
Great news for the Oilily USA customers and Teams.
We are very fortunate that after the Chapter 11 proceedings in Europe the original founders, Willem and Marieke Oltshoorn acquired the Oilily brand and all the brand rights last week in cooperation with Colorful Licensees. This cooperation represents a new chapter for the Brand with a new design team and collections. The EU stores will however remain closed for now.
The USA Oilily branch as a separate entity with 33 stores has been acquired by the current management team of Oilily USA; Miray Kafardian and Jeroen Bik. Kafardian (ex Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren) and Bik (ex Society and We) both have full careers in retail and have been running Oilily USA for the last years. The business will remain in full operation without any interruption. Oilily USA has not been directly affected by the situation in Holland.
In conjunction with Colorful Licensee Oilily USA will build a prosperous business with the continuation of a fantastically creative and colorful product!
In the coming months Oilily USA will restructure it’s organization to create an independent retail entity with a great brand for future success!
For questions mail to: Miray@oililyusa.com

By J. Bik | May 4, 2009 11:44 AM

Dear Jereon,
As an Oilily addict and self-proclaimed #1 fan, this is a true relief. I would love to hear assurances that the brand will remain true to its 45 year history, its look & feel and values. The original creativity, color palette and trademark style was diffused in the last 3 to 4 years leading to, in my opinion, less compelling, less magical, less endearing collections. The risk taking in perceived wearability of yonder years seems to actually have been the very element that customers connected to. The unique blend of playfulness, luxe and elegance are a rare combo that is worth keeping alive. Keep the fans posted! We need something to wear!

By A.M. Kovacs | May 5, 2009 6:45 PM

Hi,

How about India liason office which was in full operation for past 4 years?

Regards,
Anand

By Anand | May 6, 2009 10:31 AM

Hi, i am wondering when i read about your vision for the company i notice you compare a porshe 1995 to oilily, although it was great in its time it was ready to more on to the newer sleeker look. it seem to me what everyone wants is the old oilily back, at the very least the design and product .after seeing the new chicago store i also wondered what happened to the store design, it look like a version of an Urban Outfitter store, unfinished, old furniture, dirt falling from the ceiling, and stack and stacks of clothes piled up. that concept is so walmart. not what we want when we shop for our kids or ourselves. what i miss most is the uniqueness, the quality and style of each piece, they were a work of art. now it is a feeling of mass production, sometimes things are better the way they were, not everything but the basic principles that oilily held to the fullest. good luck pdp

By penelope | May 6, 2009 3:23 PM

Thank you for your reply, I can see the Oilily USA continues business. And I have another question. Please answer.
What kind of products are you going to sell in the next season of 2009 Fall and Winter? Ones that were released in January in Amsterdam, or others are newly to be created by your new design team with Mr. and Mrs. Olsthoon and Colorful Licenses?

By Rosemary | May 7, 2009 2:07 AM

HI,
What a great news! What does this mean for the European Oilily. Will you be able take over the production for next season, or will you only make the bags collection?
Thank you,
Merel

By Merel | May 16, 2009 6:21 PM

Great news for the States but a thought for the employees, agents and debtors/creditors still owed money by Oilily in Europe would be not missed. As while Mr A Hollander and Mr J Bik are getting on with their life and business, the rest of us are facing many uncertainities and crisis, let alone put bread on our tables.

Muriel

By Muriel | May 18, 2009 7:13 PM

Hi!
Oilily fans from the US are really lucky, even though I really agree with further comments: design is less rich since a few seasons...and some of my last purchases even show a certain lack of quality in the fabrics, the sewing...
But, well, they were still really cute clothes for little girls!
As a custumer, I really think it's a pity that the company did not think it was worth writing to its creditor custumers to explain the situation: I ordered clothes for my daughter about two weeks before the bankruptcy, never received the order or even a mail to explain why -of course no refund...:-(, and I had to find out why by myself...I'm disappointed, of course!
Florence.

By Florence | May 20, 2009 1:59 PM

I have loved your collections for the past 9 years. I was so saddened to see the boys collections disappear!! Please bring them back! Your clothes and bags are amazing!!

By JA | May 25, 2009 9:02 PM

The reality is, the US stores will not survive either. The clothes are outdated, the management team has done nothing but drive a beautiful kid's brand and collection into the groung by insisting the focus should be on women's wear. No women's & girl's concept has ever worked in the US - take a look at the demise of April Cornell

By Samantha | June 3, 2009 1:43 AM

Unfortunately Miray threw so many of the great management assets under the bus and this is what drove the business into the ground. I suppose when she and Jeroen decided to have an affair, that might have started the avalanche.

By Roadkill | June 12, 2009 1:39 PM

I dont think that people who know little to nothing about the situation should be making financial forcasts. There are certain oilily stores that do great with the women's and girls concept. Since you don't work for the company, how would you know????

By Get your facts straight | June 24, 2009 2:47 AM

Trust me, the facts are straight. As a former employee Miray and Jeroen have one thing that is front and center. It's themselves. Not the people running the shops, not the customer and certainly not the integrity of the collection. She is a truly unkind, manipulative and vindictive woman and he is equally as bad. Together they make quite an unprofessional pair. And quite frankly, I could care less about their personal relationship. I suppose it's true we all get what we deserve.

They will not succeed because their style of "leadership" is one of threats, lack of integrity and follow through. It's all very sad.

By Jenny | June 27, 2009 12:31 AM

I know a LOT about the financial forecast seeing as I work for the company. It will be just a short matter of time before US Oilily is done as well. Thanks Miray!

By Roadkill | June 27, 2009 12:44 AM

I´m leaving in germany and I would like to still buy Oilily clothes for my daughter. Do I have to order them in the U.S.? Is there an online shop or do I have to make a contact with a retail store? I can´t enter the oilily usa homepage. Is it under construction. Thanks!

By Charlene Schmidt | July 3, 2009 4:32 PM

Unfortunately, the demise of Oilily seems to have begun under the tenure of a former executive who was tapped five years ago as President of Oilily USA. He "restructured" the brand by cutting costs at the expense of its employees and its fiercely loyal customers by attempting to market to a "new" Oilily customer -- one who apparently was disinterested in wildly original and proprietary textile designs or in quality production. Everything from clothing and accessories to bags and shoes and socks to the design of the stores and the vision of its management personnel changed radically and for the worse -- only the high-end ticket prices remained. Remember the debut of the green inside Oilily label and hang tag -- it was almost impossible to read a size or price on either.... During this period, loyal Oilily fans had to rely on second-hand clothing purchased anywhere except in its own shops and boutiques selling the line, especially those who were purchasing for older boys since another of the cost-cutting measures was to discontinue the Boy line. Sadly, there was just a hint of the possibility of better-designed collections to come with the Fall/Winter 2008-09 line, but it seems that the brand already was so tarnished from its recent past of dismal collections that it could not survive. Hopefully with the originality and vision of the Olsthoorns and a proper financial backer who together can appoint creatively savvy personnel and management, Oilily someday will return worldwide....

By OlyOly | July 12, 2009 9:33 PM

Blaming the former President of Oilily USA is ridiculous considering all of what you site following that statement had nothing to do with him. As far as the high price tags, he was behind trying desperately to get them lowered. The creative direction of the brand was in the hands of the Dutch design team and specifically a creative director whose only objective was to make the brand "cool." The current administration wants to market to a much younger, hipper, woman, too. In fact, many have questioned their hiring practices as unethical as there is an Oilily "type" to be hired now and she is not old, overweight or unattractive, no matter how experienced she is as a retailer. I am a former employee and I can tell you that the brand has been in financial trouble in the US since the very beginning. It has been mismanaged for more than 20 years, current management, included. I don't think there is anything that can save the brand because it is tired, old, with no new point of view in sight and rumor on the street is that everything in stores in the next season will be repeats and the Olsthoorn's daughter's brand, Room Seven, but with Oilily tags. So if you want re-runs and knock-offs, you will love this season. Sort of hard to create new wares without designers and unpaid vendors all over the world. I loved working for the company, but it was plagued in politics, gossip, extra-marital affairs, all sorts of nonsense and little care for the customer. I'm glad I got out when I did, I have many friends who were not so lucky.

By Bobbin | July 17, 2009 7:35 PM

Is oilily usa trading - is the store in new york still open

By peter fletcher | July 21, 2009 6:54 PM

Well, I saw yesterday in a shop in Brussels some bags from the new fall-winter 2009-2010 collection (really stunning and gorgeous for little girls WOW), and also saw them + the new women collection (for bags) on an English e-shop this morning. So What? Is this collection for Europe too? Will there be clothes too? I'm a bit lost in confusion... Who knows more about it? Thanks so much to help me understand!

By Flodesneiges | July 31, 2009 8:31 AM

The bags you are seeing are from Colorful Licenses who have an arrangment to manufacture and sell OILILY fragrance and bags.

They are not from the original collection formerly designed by in-house staff. In fact, there is no fall winter collection. There are new deliveries for the US stors which is exciting. It's called the "resurgence" collection. Which are left overs from previous seasons (that no one else would buy) they are trying to make us believe are the best sellers being re-itroduced in the US market.

By Heddles | August 13, 2009 6:09 PM

Coming from a fan of the original 1960's Oilily brand, what a complete nightmare when you see someone take over the company and ruin it and there isn't anything you can do about it. Besides the fact that someone tried to climb the corporate ladder climbing up his you know what, the fact that they tried to create an entirely different concept and allow someone to put scissors on a t-shirt and think that it would sell is beyond me! Funny, the designer who likes scissors left Oilily a while ago to create more scissors on clothes. Ask yourself how those are selling? What made Oilily so fantastic and original were the designs of the kids clothes. Oilily has never been known for their women's clothes. Get a clue what your customers want and don't try and become a brand that you are not. You will succeed if you go back to your original creative designs and not put someone in charge of your company who is completely clueless, horny for older men, and a whore.

By OililyFan | August 20, 2009 3:34 AM

Will Oilily produce toddler boy's clothing again? I missed the boys's collection.

By Cynthia Burns | August 23, 2009 12:54 AM

Hi, So when Oilily is starting again, will it retain back the Old employees and old Suppliers and Liaison Office? I guess there must be people who get associated with the Brand so much that they would love to work for it again!!

By Rose Mary | August 25, 2009 8:07 AM

Good news for those trying to buy BOY in oilily. There is a 'NEW' web site open to make the old oilily fans happy. It's called 'oililyshop.com'. Good luck. Oh, and to understand it have your computer translate the website. Good Luck and happy buying.

By Teddy Brown | September 4, 2009 6:24 PM

Roadkill, Do you still work for the company? Do you know the current status? I heard that they are hiring again. Would you recommend it?

By Miss Oilily | September 16, 2009 5:33 AM

I will love to work in Oilily again !!! Expend my time with the really nice people I met during 12 years, staff, customers, employees all around Europe... Really nice people to work with and for them again.

By old employee | September 16, 2009 10:34 AM

I worked in the Dallas store of OILILY USA for a year until it went bankrupt. It was so sad to see the clothes design fall from beautiful to almost nothing. I saved tons of old catalogs that they were going to throw out, and the old oilily is really what was beautiful. watching the store close was heartbreaking. The customers were great, you always knew who was who and what they wanted. Its sad that it's all gone.

By Harley | October 12, 2009 12:20 AM

No Miss Oilily, I do not work for the company anymore. I've since moved to upstate NY where I stay at home and care for my husband and our 2 children. I have been in contact with Miray, and after an exhausting conversation about her extramarital affair with Jeroen, I cannot recommend anyone going to work with them. Their focus for the company going forward is laiden with nothing but bad business, personal greed, selfish motivation and POOR taste, that will surely continue to end this amazing brand. It's just plain sad!

By Roadkill | October 19, 2009 4:01 PM

Well, it's worse than anyone imagined. I understand, Jeroen & Miray do NOT have the rights to use the name OILILY after June of 2010. Of course, considering there is no design team working on a collection it makes sense that Mr. Olsterhn would not allow them that priveledge. I believe it's his lack of faith in their business acumen and strategy for the US market.

I too work for OILILY and they are being deceptive and not telling anyone the facts. Rumor has it that they are going to rename the stores and carry a collection of different kid's clothing lines from Europe. But not OILILY.

I'm sure roadkill knows more...

By Heddles | November 5, 2009 12:03 AM

So howz the old Oilily office at Alkmaar running? heard the old team is slowly coming back? wonder their future plans in re-bulding the Brand again!!

By gjill | November 6, 2009 5:48 AM

Oilily will NEVER be what it use to be. The one who ran the company the best was the previous president "Paul" back when a corporate office existed. Now you have 2 idiots trying to run a company on their own and all they are doing is terminating store managers for no reason who were there for 8yrs plus and all of a sudden in their eyes those managers were not doing well so why did it take them 8yrs to view this? Karma is what they are getting now!! Rumor has it that they downgraded the store manager who use to run the orlando outlet and Newyork. Most of the customers who use to buy from there have vanished and do not want to know about oilily and it's FAKE upper management. I know for a fact that store is definitely doing poorly. The employees have been with no review for over 3 years. Miray and Jerone are both racists individuals who will not get anywhere with their greed and selfishness. All you see in stores now are 3 upset emplyees working and no more good store managers to run a store the way it should be ran. Miray, and whatever DM'S are left and Jerone need to open up a booth at the flea market and run it from that background since they have no class!!!! I believe this is why they are getting in legal issues as well.

By Christina Katz | November 6, 2009 11:13 PM