John Ro

One of our favorite discoveries of 2024 was a small brand from the Netherlands called De Dam Foundation. While still in the early stages in terms of the products it has released, it already offers a fascinating perspective on the Netherlands and clearly demonstrates its high ambitions for the future through a sophisticated design language and significant depth in storytelling. In a world full of merch brands, De Dam Foundation strives for something more meaningful. However, being independently run, it can only take a step-by-step approach to reach its full potential. To learn more about this intriguing brand, we sat down with founder John Ro. When we spoke with him, we learned that despite the entirely “Dutch” framework of De Dam Foundation, it was actually created with an outsider’s perspective.

John is from South Korea and moved to the other side of the world for his studies, later deciding to stay and work in data science for the past few years. Next to his day job, he’s steadily building out his other passion, one piece at a time. Not by slapping a logo on a staple piece, but by getting to the core of each garment—seeking out a unique level of craftsmanship and exceptional materials that match his high ambitions. This journey has taken him from the Netherlands to the USA, Japan, and back to Korea to find the right manufacturing partners and source the exquisite fabrics used in his products. Everything aimed at bringing a vision of the Netherlands to life in contemporary clothing that speaks to us like no other Dutch brand probably could.

Here are some of the things we talked about >

You are originally from Seoul, which, in recent years, has really become a new cultural gateway to Asia. Would you agree?

A lot of cool brands have emerged recently, indeed. There’s a lot of talent in terms of marketing and all other aspects of fashion too. The fashion industry has been big for a long time, but it never really had international exposure. However, with Korean pop culture becoming popular worldwide, it’s now helping the fashion industry. I actually started producing in Korea myself in 2024.

On what foundation was De Dam Foundation built?

In the beginning, I was very focused on the concept of “a foundation”—to create foundational garments. That’s why, for example, I really wanted to make the sweatshirts in the USA. I still do: in Compton, California, to be precise. By coincidence, it’s even a factory owned by a Korean-American family. So, that’s how I started the brand—looking for foundational items and having them produced where they were first made. Pretty soon after the inception of the brand, I pivoted towards finding inspiration in Dutch culture and translating it into contemporary garments. Specifically, I wanted to create things that made sense, aesthetically and functionally, for The Netherlands as a country. That’s also how the use of water-resistant fabric came about—because it rains a lot here, of course, haha.

You became fascinated by Dutch rain?

Absolutely, I did a lot of research on this. I found out that it rains 190 days a year on average in The Netherlands.

How did you source the water-resistant fabric that you used?

The water-resistant fabric is actually from Japan. It’s produced in a factory near Osaka that’s been producing fabrics for over a hundred years. They’re famous for producing gabardine and work with a lot of big brands. I just didn’t succeed in sourcing this kind of fabric in The Netherlands, so I ended up looking elsewhere and found it in Japan. I went through an intermediary in Korea, but that was the only way for me to afford it.

Being able to work with Korean suppliers while being based in The Netherlands is one of the big advantages of what I’m doing with the brand. I found a good sampler and fabric supplier who’s been very helpful. I’ve even moved a lot of my supply chain and production there, while still maintaining the brand’s image and concept based entirely on The Netherlands. Things like the fact that hardly anyone wears an umbrella here, for instance, fascinate me! In Korea, everyone does, all of the time. That’s what inspired the pieces I created in 2024—the jacket and trousers.

The caps I designed are also made in Korea, using a water-resistant cotton fabric that can be worn daily but also handles sudden weather changes. The brand is inspired by the practicality and simplicity of Dutch living, hence each piece is crafted using high quality fabrics to be reliable, functional, and built to last.

What is your original connection to The Netherlands?

One of my best friends is Dutch, but he actually grew up in Korea with me. I went to an international school, and his dad was an expat in Korea. At one point, my friend said, “We should go to a Dutch university together.” And that’s what we did. It was quite random—I knew nothing about the country except for “bitterballen,” which I’d eaten at my friend’s house once. My friend was always the odd one out in school, eating bread during lunch, while everyone else had rice or noodles. He always complained that it was nearly impossible to find sourdough bread in Korea. So that’s how I was first exposed to Dutch culture, and eventually, I ended up here. Funnily enough, my friend moved to America after our studies, but I stayed in The Netherlands after graduating from Tilburg University.

Did you experience a culture shock when you came here from Korea?

One thing I noticed was that people are very direct in their communication, which can be efficient but also sometimes rude. I experienced that a bit at first. Korean people are very similar to Japanese people in terms of respect, but they can be quite hot-headed and passionate. That said, adapting to Dutch culture wasn’t too difficult for me. I’ve really enjoyed living here since the beginning, and in the end, that’s what inspired me to start De Dam Foundation.

I don’t think there are many brands that have taken the conceptual approach you did: focusing on The Netherlands. There are many brands that celebrate certain (diaspora) elements of The Netherlands and Dutch culture, like Patta and Daily Paper— currently there are very few that draw inspiration directly from the country on a universal level or its history.

I don’t think there are many either. I really want people to experience the brand as coming from The Netherlands. When they receive a package, I want them to feel like it’s from Amsterdam. That’s why I had specific postcards designed to evoke that feeling.

Do you still do everything yourself?

I do everything – myself with occasional specific help from others, in terms of graphic design and photography. And, of course, there’s my wife who helps a lot!

We really thought you were Dutch when we found out about the brand. Possibly with a pinch of irony, reflecting on all things “Dutch.” But as we talk about it, there is a specificity and sincere interest in your approach that probably could only come from an outsider’s perspective.

Being an outsider offers me a unique perspective, but honestly, that was also one of the biggest challenges I faced at the start. A lot of brands have a certain “circle,” and I had none. Once I realized that I needed that, I understood how it would help elevate the brand. So, I started reaching out and meeting people who were buying the products—trying to connect with them and understand who they were and why they were buying them.

There’s something specific about a Korean perspective on Dutch culture. When you think about it, that’s probably what makes it interesting for us. And you can clearly see it in the proportions of some of the pieces you’ve created. Although that’s also you referencing Dutch traditional “workwear” clothing, worn by farmers, among others. You’re almost creating a mirror to cast a new light on parts of Dutch culture that aren’t appreciated much—definitely not by the locals—in contemporary culture.

Despite not having a clearly defined cultural niche, you clearly have very high ambitions for the products you create. I’m sure people realized that pretty quickly. What did you do to be able to produce the first sweaters in the USA?

I actually went there, which was interesting because it was during COVID. I’d created a list of 11 or 12 factories, which I found through Google, my friends, and things like Korean and even Mexican Facebook groups. In the end, I was able to visit nine factories. Three had already gone bankrupt because of COVID. That was sad, of course, but in a way, it helped me because most of the factories had lowered their minimum orders due to the strange circumstances. So, that really helped, because I only had a budget for a few pieces.

Plus, the family that owns the factory in Compton that I eventually started working with is just really nice. They’re also very reasonable with payment demands. The owners are around the same age as my dad, so they liked my story as well. And we connected in that way. It is pretty special to make these cultural connections all over the globe, based on the same background, although we are now in completely different circumstances.

Do you design all the garments yourself?

Yes, I design them myself, and I have a great pattern maker in Korea who translates my designs into handmade patterns. His apprentice then turns them into digital versions. I met that pattern maker through my dad, who worked in fashion marketing and still had some contacts that I just cold-called at one point. Despite our large age difference, I’ve also established a really good relationship with this pattern maker. He’s also the one who introduced me to the factory in Korea that’s been producing for me since last year. Because I’m so involved in everything, all of these new opportunities also keep presenting themselves. It’s a cliché, but the whole “journey” component of having the brand is really what keeps me going. Both in terms of finding what I need for the products I want to make. And this whole dynamic that starts once you put it on the market and people start buying things.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on different things like button down shirts and new types of trousers. Both items are inspired by Dutch pictures and paintings from the 1800s. I always see people wearing large-shaped baggy trousers or shorts. Also, I love how everyone is wearing baggy trousers as their daily ‘workwear’. Not only functional as workwear but it really looked as a sharp and stylish outfit for any occasion. I felt like this practical ‘daily’ outfit is being forgotten in the Netherlands, so I want to bring this heritage back with a modern touch.

How did you sell your previous drops of products?

All the previous drops were sold online. Honestly, I got a lot of orders from outside of The Netherlands, which is amazing. A lot from Japan, actually, but also quite a few from Italy, France, and Belgium—just not many from The Netherlands yet. I’ve been told that the Dutch consumer is hard to please when it comes to clothing. So, it might need some more time for that to really take off.

I think it’s safe to say that the Dutch aren’t quite conservative when it comes to the brands that are worn in the mainstream. Maybe one day, when you get more recognition from outside of The Netherlands, things will change in that regard. How do you see the future of the brand?

I really love that people are starting to notice the brand. People are messaging me, asking if I have a store. I even get messages in Japanese, which I can’t read! It’s really rewarding to realize that things are slowly being recognized. I want to continue exploring new things, creating more products, and searching for new fabrics and manufacturing techniques. I’ll keep pushing to create the best possible things despite my limited resources. I want to keep traveling, putting myself out there, and finding the people and things that will help me every step of the way.

That sense of exploring is very Dutch as well, you could argue, so that really fits into the concept. We can’t wait to see to which heights you take the brand in the future!

For everything De Dam Foundation see here >