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In 1875 the Dutch government decided to invest in new industries in the northern part of The Netherlands in order compensate the loss of income in the original peat-cutting industry in the aforementioned area. One of these new industries was a button factory which obtained its raw material corozzo nuts from Peru. These nuts were first sliced and after that cut into blanks which were processed into buttons by turning and cutting drills. This was the foundation of the company name

“Knoopenfabriek J. Mulder & Zn” (Buttonfactory J. Mulder & Sons) which after a visit of His Royal Highness Prince Henry received the royal qualification Konimklijke Steenootknopenfabriek J. Mulder & Zn (Royal Corozzo Buttonfactory J. Mulder & Sons).

Since mr. J. Mulder, the owner of the company. had no successors the button factory was bought by its competitor Hollandsche Konoopenfabriek N.V. (Dutch Buttonfactory Ltd.) in Spakenburg. The former button factory in Veendam became the women’s wear department, specialized in designing and producing buttons for women’s clothing. Mr. Willem Koelewijn, the former manager of the calculation department at the Hollandsche Knoopenfabriek N.V. in Spakenburg, was asked to take over the daily management of the button factory J. Mulder in Veendam.

As the garment industry in The Netherlands was slowly disappearing to low cost countries, especially in the eastern areas like Twente and some large cities as Groningen and Amsterdam, sales of women’s wear buttons clearly went down. Therefore the mothercompany in Spakenburg decided in 1978 to close its facility in Veendam; Willem Koelewijn and his old colleague Mr. Cees van Blarcum, a former international representative at the button factory in Spakenburg, decided to take over the company and continue it under the new name Button Fashion Holland B.V. In 1991 Cees van Blarcum retired; his shares were bought by Willem Koelewijn’s sons Jan and Eddy Koelewijn. Unfortunately Willem Koelewijn passed away unexpectedly; the daily management of Button Fashion Holland B.V. was taken over by both sons: Jan Koelewijn was responsible for operations and Eddy Koelewijn for sales and marketing. In December 1999 Button Fashion Holland B.V reached an agreement to sell all of his assets to the world’s largest button factory and –wholesaler: Blumenthal Lansing Company, part of Levcor Inc. noted at the New York Stock Exchange market.

Button Fashion Holland B.V. received a new name: for Button Fashion B.V. this meant an enormous extension of its collection with a complete new craft productline. Button Fashion B.V. has 3 employees. In 2004 Button Fashion B.V. has considerably extended its assortment and offers you besides a very large choice of buttons many other products like embellishments for cardmaking and scrapbooking, natural handbaghandles, appliqués etc.etc.

In 2008 both sons, Jan en Eddy Koelewijn, left de company and Nina Schmitz now runs Button Fashion. The production of buttons is now in hands of the mother company in America and Button Fashion in the Netherlands is only an sellingpoint for Europe.

On our website you will find an impression of our assortment. Please feel free to contact us for further information.