Creative Director Patrick van der Woude launched ETQ in 2010. He is a maker, a master of the fine art of presenting yourself. He broke boundaries in the transience-soaked fashion industry, bringing sneakers to the higher levels of the luxury market. His story is classic.

Car mechanic

Patrick was the kid who felt drowned in school. The outsider whose style overpowered his shadows. At an early age, he was a car mechanic fascinated by the industrial design of strong ever-evolving car models. Porche 911, Golf: the classics. It inspired him. Hours he spent tinkering with cars. But at night, the clubs were filled with flashy fast fashion. Studs outshining characters. As a person whose style had always helped him forward, he felt an urge to change this scene. Thus: he switched cars for shoes, but kept its design approach. He created: the counter sound of fashion. 

The counter sound

This is the era of the intuitive fashion pioneers. Out of his trunk, Patrick sold out his first 36 pairs of ETQ shoes in a flash. His ETQs stood out by cleanness. The response was overwhelming. The street never whispered this loud before. Patrick kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, driven by one goal: build a wardrobe brand that helps to profile you as strong and stylish. A brand that enables you to rise to any occasion. A brand that is consistent, that you can fall back on. He scaled up fast. Evolving classics, growing the code. It gained him a rockstar status among fans.

Style code

A thick layer of style and quality, a thin layer of logos. Building on your own power and identity is most important. Patrick: “I have my own set of standards that I live by. Manners matter. It makes everything else more smooth. All this flashy fashion creates a rat race around getting the latest. I’ve always had an urge for style and quality and joined the race for a bit, but I missed a strong base to fill in the blanks. So I created ETQ. As the essence. In the end, I left the fluff out of my wardrobe completely. And kept the essence only. Stick to the core. Beyond trends. Better for the world too. My style is my anchor. Logos make boys, style makes men.”

Evolving classic etiquette to match the pace of today. Patrick doesn’t just do it. He does it with grace.