Page 32 - Sep-Oct 2021

Altering
Altering

Perceptions
P er ceptions

Mercer Amsterdam is a high-end sneaker label that is based in Amsterdam and offers
footwear and accessories for men and women. Here, RLI speaks with Founder and Designer
Pim Dresen to discuss how the brand has grown and what the idea behind the company is.

he business was named after Mercer Street in New York
City where Pim Dresen bought his first pair of sneakers
at age 10. Today the products are produced in family-
Towned factories in Portugal and Italy with a heavy focus
on sustainability.
The focus of the company is to manufacture distinct silhouettes
that are fully-designed in-house from sole-to-lace and create a unique
look-and-feel with a luxury touch that is incomparable to any other
brand.
Today Mercer Amsterdam is available in over 150 stores across
the world as well as in its brand store in Amsterdam at Ferdinand
Bolstraat 54.
“At Mercer we want to change the perception of the consumer
regarding sustainable and vegan products,” explains Pim Dresen,
Founder and Designer at Mercer Amsterdam. “We want to show
the consumer it can be cool, that it can be high-end and that it can
be sustainable, all in one product.”
Dresen explains that due to the market conditions in recent times,
the company has been able to take a step back and to take some
time and really visualise the Mercer Amsterdam story. Furthermore,
he goes onto say that the conditions has made the brand focus even
more on their own way forward and their own story after spending
much of the past few years serving the needs of third parties.
Despite everything that has gone on in the world in the last
18 months, the plans for their own brand store with a physical
connection to their design office was already in motion. So instead of
halting their plans, they decided to still open their doors despite the
unusual circumstances.
“Instead of being on the defensive we thought, let’s be pro-active,
positive and brave, and to not let any negative emotion and risk-
evaluation take over. Telling the Mercer story from our Amsterdam
base has helped us immensely and given us so much energy,”
Dresen says.
The energy and success of this maiden store has paved the way for
them to now look for follow-up stores and they are in the process
of locating perfect sites for Mercer stores in London and Paris. Once
they find the right spot, they are hopeful of moving quickly and
securing the location and being up and running in these new markets
in the upcoming year.