After our conversation, one thing is clear: Johanna van der Drift’s life is about poetic precision. The start of her bag label, HEIGS, fuels her obsession daily. Cover image: Yuma Greco for HEIGS
FROM REBEL PRINCESSES TO REFINED BRUTALISM: CHRISTINE BOLAND EXPLAINS FASHION’S FUTURE MOODS
STARTING HEIGS
Before founding HEIGS, Johanna van der Drift was many things: a hotelier, a television producer, a secretary for a criminal defense lawyer, and a child dreaming of marrying French pop icon Julien Clerc. But through it all, there was always one constant: a love for craftsmanship and beauty and a preference for intuition over convention.
“I was 21 and working as a secretary for a criminal defense lawyer,” the HEIGS founder and creative director remembers. “My employer was fascinating and eccentric, and our conversations were enriching. We’ve stayed friends ever since.” Still, administrative work wasn’t a fit. “After a year, I resigned to spend a few years flying, which suited me much better. I loved the ever-changing scenery and the excitement of traveling.”
A child of the 1960s, she grew up infatuated with French culture. “I was deeply influenced by series like Belle et Sébastien and Angélique,” she says. “I adored the clothing, the interiors, the landscapes… And I loved French music. One of my childhood dreams was to marry Julien Clerc and live in France. You could say it almost came true!”
“AFTER SPENDING TIME IN THE ALPS, I CAN LONG FOR THE CITY”
HEIDI GOES SAFARI
She’s since carved out a life between Paris and the Alps; two worlds that may seem disparate but are in constant conversation for her. “After time in the Alps, I long for the city. And after a few weeks in Paris, Switzerland calls me back,” she says. “That rhythm between nature and culture inspires my life and work.”
HEIGS—a portmanteau of “Heidi Goes Safari”—reinstates the classic alpine character: ungendered, grounded in nature and tradition, yet always on the move. “The name reflects my connection to Switzerland, where I’ve lived for over 20 years,” she says. “But it also speaks to exploration, to following instinct.”
As so many good things do, the brand began on a drive. “I was somewhere between Switzerland and France when the idea of creating a handbag came to me—I even remember the exact spot,” she says. “I wanted to design the perfect handbag I hadn’t found yet.” Having already collaborated with Villeroy & Boch on tableware under the HEIGS name during her hotelier days, the creative director saw the potential to evolve it into something more personal. In Paris, she met Eloise, a master leather artisan trained at Hermès and Louis Vuitton. “We connected instantly. I was deeply impressed by the exceptional quality of her work. It was the beginning of something real.”
HIGH STANDARDS
The result is a made-to-order collection that combines Swiss precision with French savoir-faire. “Swiss design is all about quality, durability, and high-standard materials. But when it comes to elegance and romance, no one does it like the French.”
“WE WANT CHANGE WITHOUT WASTE”
HEIGS is most striking in its quiet ingenuity. Its most signature feature—the exchangeable lining—feels like a design-world reference. “The idea came from interiors,” she says. “Like changing the mood of a room by swapping out cushions. We want change without waste.” The modular lining allows versatility, practicality (removable and washable), and artistic collaboration. This September at Palais Royal, HEIGS will debut a special edition with Paris-based atelier Brigitte Tanaka. Another project features BillyNou, an artist in the South of France who presses wildflowers into fabric. “It brings creativity, longevity, and personality into one piece.”
FUTURE OF LUXURY
Her creative partner and HEIGS co-founder, Daan van Luijn, brings generational contrast and shared history. “I’ve known Daan since he was a child,” she says. “His mother—my best friend—was a brilliant seamstress and woodworker. We created so much together for my hotels.” Daan, now a professional with a deep fluency in branding and digital culture, brings a fresh lens. “I bring memory; he brings the moment. That tension is part of the HEIGS DNA.”
This intergenerational exchange is also where she sees the future of luxury. “I don’t follow trends. I follow my instinct,” she says. “To me, a ‘future heirloom’ is something made with care, not for the next season, but for the next generation.” With every bag made to order, anticipation replaces instant gratification. “True craftsmanship, not the kind used as a marketing term, but the real, enduring kind, is being rediscovered. And I believe the young, independent brands will lead that revival.”
“LUXURY IS ABOUT TIME, TOUCH AND CONNECTION”
So, what excites her most about what’s to come? Not speed, nor scale. “Luxury is currently being redefined,” she says. “It’s about time, touch, and connection. I see HEIGS growing into a community where artists, thinkers, and makers unite to create beautiful objects and preserve something precious. That’s where the future lies.”
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