Yvonne Vermeulen's career began with an internship at Fiorucci in Milan, which she obtained after graduating from the Vogue Academy in Amsterdam. The internship gave her a chance to learn about casualwear and see denim evolve into statement pieces.

After her time at the iconic fashion house Fiorucci, Yvonne was hired as head designer and buyer for a major Dutch fashion company, which meant constant travel through the Far East. India, China, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea—Yvonne saw factories filled with workers racing against impossible quotas. Children playing in textile landfills.
Workers handling toxic dyes with bare hands, environmental devastation dismissed as "standard industry practice." When she asked for cotton they proudly showed her acrylic instead, the factory owners were completely unaware of the damage caused by their materials. This was fashion's reality in the '80s and '90s, long before sustainability became a boardroom buzzword.

By 1995, with almost a decade of experience behind her, Yvonne returned to Italy with a different agenda. Her love for fashion hadn't diminished—it had matured into something more demanding. She refused to participate in a system that regarded principles of ethics as insignificant. In Italy, she found what was lacking in the Far East: transparency built into production chains and fair labour conditions that were standard practice rather than costly extras. From 1998 to 2002, she served as exclusive creative director for Italian fashion brand Indian Rose. Then from 2002 to 2015, she designed and produced her own label entirely in Italy while consulting for Guess, Kenzo, and Benetton.

After decades in the fashion industry, Yvonne has come to realise that exceptional clothing doesn't require toxic shortcuts. It requires designers and manufacturers who are willing to say no. That's what The Blue Suit is built on.

Pictured: initial design artwork for Indian Rose, created by Yvonne Vermeulen.

Karen Rauschenbach spent 15 years managing aerospace operations across Europe and Asia—coordinating production teams, auditing complex supply chains, leading certifications. She understood what zero-tolerance quality standards actually meant: every component traced, every supplier verified, every process documented.

In 2016, during her sabbatical, Karen enrolled in THNK, Amsterdam's Executive Leadership Program, developing her initial project idea to produce clean fashion. Through THNK, she connected with Yvonne.

Pictured: all clothing by The Blue Suit, Cradle to Cradle Certified®. The top is laser-printed Lyocell, OEKOTEX's highest standard. The trousers have wooden buttons and no zipper, and the jacket has a certified silk-screened lining.

Karen asked Yvonne to create an honest sustainable denim collection for women in the corporate world. Yvonne brought her expertise and her network of Italian manufacturers who valued craftsmanship over speed. Karen brought the operational framework to turn ambitious sustainability goals into verifiable reality— ensuring that every certification was earned, and every claim was backed up.

In 2017, they founded The Blue Suit on one principle: ‘wij doen het echt—we actually do it, by taking responsibility’.

The following year, they presented their first denim collection at the Modefabriek Amsterdam. Italian-made with organic cotton, every supplier documented, every material certified.

The results spoke clearly: less than 1% returns, 40% repeat customers within the first year. Women responded to what The Blue Suit showed that choosing sustainable materials doesn't mean compromising on style.

By 2022, The Blue Suit achieved Switzerland's first Cradle to Cradle Certified® (C2C) denim collection—the certification that audits material health, product circularity, climate protection, and social fairness throughout the entire manufacturing process.
C2C certification is expensive, time-consuming, and requires manufacturers willing to document every chemical, every process, every supplier. Most brands claim they're "working toward" these standards. The Blue Suit proved they're achievable.

Yvonne and Karen founded Circular Clothing Cooperative, sharing assessment tools with other Swiss textile brands—teaching them how to do better.

Shown: The Blue Suit's Cradle to Cradle Certified® black denim.

In 2024, Karen transitioned out of operations after helping to build the supply chain systems that proved sustainable fashion could meet rigorous manufacturing standards. She remains involved in Circular Clothing.

The Blue Suit evolves into Blue Suit Authority with the same principles and Italian tailoring, ready to scale as a more profitable, high-standard sustainable women's collection.

Every garment we produce is 98-99% organic, completely toxic-free, and for 98-99% microplastic-free. We don't claim sustainability. We prove it through internationally recognised certifications, traceable supply chains from raw material to finished garment, and manufacturing methods that prioritise environmental responsibility and worker dignity.

Not because it's trendy. Because after seeing the alternative, we couldn't do anything else.

Complete documentation: How We Make It.