Brand Ideology
While most men embody the adage that 'clothes make the man', the MARTYN BAL Man doesn't need a costume to define him. The clothes he chooses hold up a mirror to his inner strength.The core of this strength is versatility, born of a multifaceted nature in which apparent contradictions compliment each other effortlessly. An audacious gentleman, he is a hopeless romantic with a dirty mind.
Like a Swan, the attributes of the MARTYN BAL Man always have an edge; an effortless beauty that tolerates no preening, resilience created by the softest feathers, and a wild nature easily tamed by love.
From exquisite tailoring, perfectly constructed outerwear and an equally intuitive and studied approach to fashion, MARTYN BAL exudes a profound sense of energy intimately connected to music, contemporary art and gender theories.
MARTYN BAL aims to challenge fashion conventions with an architectural vision, around shapes, fit and proportion, while effortlessly juxtaposing strength and fragility, forcefulness and elegance, with hedonism and romanticism.
Designer
Having cut his teeth as a teen apprentice to Dirk Bikkembergs, Martyn Bal's age belies an extensive and rich experience in a surprisingly short amount of time. Within a span of 10 years, he has managed to complete an MA at the Royal College of Art in London, assist Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme, design collections for Versace, and direct the men's studio for Burberry's Prorsum.Bal was accepted at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London in 1998 to pursue an MA in Menswear Design. Testament to his successful progress, he won several awards, including the award for best menswear collection from Mila Schön.
Graduating in the year 2000, Bal was hired instantly by Hedi Slimane at Christian Dior, one of the world's top fashion houses. Under Slimane's wing, together they embarked on an impressive journey to transform Dior Homme into the leading brand it is today.
After a rewarding and exciting time at Dior, in 2003 Bal was ready to assume overall creative responsibility and accepted a position as Creative Director at Verri Uomo in Milan. Responsible for the ready-to-wear and accessories line, he faced the challenge of refreshing Verri's brand image. With a new house style, advertising and interior design of Verri's retail stores.
In 2005, Bal was engaged as men's Design Consultant for Gianni Versace, a leading international fashion house known for it's sexy and glamorous clothes. Subsequently, Martyn was hired as Design Director menswear by Burberry, one of the largest publicly traded luxury goods companies in the world. Here he was given creative responsibility for all Burberry Prorsum's menswear lines and was also exposed to Burberry's London Line.
Mission and Values
The mission of MARTYN BAL is to continuously capture the zeitgeist of today in luxury products that offer quality, kindle dreams and generate desire.In view of our mission, MARTYN BAL embodies four fundamental values:
Pursue Craftsmanship
All our products are handcrafted and produced with excellence, while breathing the heritage of artistry handed down from generation upon generation. We never compromise on product quality.
Develop Forward Design
Forward thinking, innovation and advanced technology in design ensure our luxury products to stay fresh, energetic and contemporary.
Build Sustainable Relationships
Mutual respect, shared goals and a long-term view are imperative for building our sustainable relationships, with an entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit.
Challenge Conventions
We pursue our ambitious goals with passionate determination, strive to constantly improve, never be complacent, and come up with new ideas, while continuously challenging our industry's conventions with pragmatism, efficiency and respect.
Christiaan Eisberg
With an MSc and MBA from the prestigious Nyenrode Business School, Christiaan Eisberg has been successful in commercial positions in the US, Europe and Asia, from championing unique opportunities in healthcare to holding executive roles in the oil industry.His age belies a rich and international business experience. With a track record for successful delivery and inspiring leadership, he is no stranger to developing business ideas into successful ventures.
After years of international projects and executive management, Eisberg believed it was now time to combine his blue chip experience and innate desire for entrepreneurship to engage in his own undertaking.
Martyn Bal's creative ingenuity and Eisberg's clear-headed business sense make for an impressive team, in which Eisberg focuses on channelling Bal's talent and creative vision into a financially successful and sustainable business, maximising its full potential.