Meet the Founder: The Story Behind the Story

Every story begins somewhere. Mine began with a box of fabric scraps and a very patient grandfather.

I grew up in a creative family — the kind of home where there were always crafts happening, threads caught in the carpet, and conversations about colour palettes over dinner. My grandfather was a tailor, a furrier to be precise, and to me, his work was pure magic. He could take a flat piece of material and turn it into something that made people stand taller. I didn’t know it then, but that was where Stories by Hennie M really started — not in a studio, but at his sewing table, watching the quiet and patient precision of craftsmanship.

From there, creativity simply never left. Summers were spent in the South of France, where I fell in love with the way fabric moved in the breeze — light linen dresses, golden light, and a kind of effortless femininity that still shapes everything I design today. Later, twelve years in London brought another kind of influence: structure, culture, and a taste for quiet sophistication. Between the two, I learned the art of balance — relaxed yet refined, minimal yet meaningful.

I studied art and fashion history, pattern making, and design, but I’ve also worked in marketing, management, and the wonderfully buzzing world of corporate life. I suppose that’s what makes me both dreamer and doer — creative at heart, but grounded in structure.

When I created Stories by Hennie M, it wasn’t because the world needed another brand. It was because I needed to build something that finally felt like me — something that could blend beauty, purpose, and storytelling. It’s not just created, and it’s not just a brand — it’s who I am; an extension of me. Each design begins with inspiration — a view, a feeling, a texture — and slowly evolves into something tangible. I’ve never been one for rushing things (unless we’re talking about catching a London train), so every garment we create is designed with care, made to last, and crafted to hold meaning.

The vision for Stories by Hennie M goes beyond fabric and form. It’s about people — the women who wear the pieces, and the women behind them. Having rebuilt my own life more than once, I know how vital opportunity and purpose can be. That’s why this brand is built with the promise to give back — by creating space for others to grow, return, and thrive through craft.

So, who’s behind Stories by Hennie M?
Just a designer who’s still endlessly inspired by the sound of scissors on cloth, the light on linen, and the quiet hope that what we make can mean something — to the women who create it, and the women who wear it.

With love,
Hennie
Founder & Creative Director, Stories by Hennie M