La Fille d’O reluctantly looks abroad for cheaper labour costs

Lingerie designer Muriel Scherre, the woman behind Belgian brand La Fille d’O, has had to renege on her ethical principles and agreed to have some of her production relocated to Poland.  Ghent-based Scherre had always made a point of working with local materials and producers, but financial necessities have forced her to consider cheaper alternatives.  She called the decision a “compromise between saving money  and being smart”. “We had reached a point where 44 percent of our costs were not invoiced to the customer,” she explained. “In other words, counting down the days until we shut up shop.” The conception and development of new lines, as well as the manufacture of designer collections, will remain in Belgium.