Rens van de Schoor, a Dutch entrepreneur who previously re-started the Miss Etam and Promiss retail concepts, has established an investment vehicle to take over assets of the Doniger Fashion Group. They include Gaastra, the Dutch nautical brand, along with two fashion brands, McGregor and Adam, which had to be rescued twice in two years. The McGregor Fashion Group, which previously owned Gaastra, went into bankruptcy proceedings last year. Although several parties displayed interest, it was decided to continue operating with the same owners under another holding company, Doniger Fashion Group. But earlier this month, Doniger obtained court approval to start bankruptcy proceedings for eleven of its subsidiaries. Van de Schoor established Du Soutien Beheer to re-start the Dutch activities of the McGregor, Gaastra and Adam brands. The trustee apparently held talks with several interested parties again, but Van de Schoor was said to have offered good proceeds for Doniger's creditors, and the strongest prospects for business continuity and employment. All brand stores are to remain open until further notice. The McGregor Fashion Group acquired Gaastra back in 2000. Before the second bankruptcy, the whole group employed about 600 people and ran 75 stores, including about 300 employees and 53 stores in the Netherlands, while the remainder are spread between Belgium, France and Germany. The Doniger group was owned by the former McGregor shareholders, Jeroen Schothorst and Ben Kolff, along with the Dutch investor Marcel Boekhoorn and the NIBC investment bank. It reportedly managed a turnover in the range of €235 million in 2015.

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