Mexx was Europe's top 30 fashion brand — then the holding companies went bankrupt

Mexx was founded in 1986 by Rattan Chadha in Voorschoten, Netherlands, and grew rapidly into one of Europe's largest fashion brands. By 2010, the company was producing 40 million pieces annually and ranked among the top thirty fashion brands in Europe, with stores in more than 50 countries. The brand sold women's, men's, and children's clothing, shoes, and home accessories through a mix of standalone stores, franchise outlets, and wholesale accounts.

The decline began in 2008 when sales started falling. The financial crisis hit consumer spending across Europe, and Mexx — positioned in the accessible mid-market — was squeezed between fast-fashion giants like Zara and H&M above and discount retailers below. The company closed stores and restructured, but the losses continued. By 2014, the accumulated damage was irreversible.

On 4 December 2014, three holding companies of Mexx were declared bankrupt by the Amsterdam District Court. The brand did not disappear — in February 2015, Turkish retailer Eroğlu Holding purchased Mexx out of bankruptcy and restarted operations. The brand later returned to Dutch ownership under RNF Holding in 2017 and was sold to HVEG Fashion Group in 2024. But the original company — the one Rattan Chadha had built from a single store into a European powerhouse — was gone.