René van Geer is an industrial designer and co-founder of SECRID, one of the most innovative pocketwear brands in the Netherlands. He established the company nearly three decades ago with his wife Marianne van Sasse van Ysselt, a fashion designer. From 1989 to 2008, they also operated a design studio, creating hundreds of products for international clients in various fields, including medical equipment, consumer electronics and furniture. Designing for these markets, van Geer has first-hand knowledge of numerous factories in Asia and Europe. This experience helped him develop a holistic approach to the design process, which he carries into his work at SECRID. Since the launch of its first collection in 2009, SECRID has chosen to manufacture all products as locally as possible, which often means ‘made in Holland’. In 2021, SECRID became a certified B-corporation. SECRID also supports the next generation of designers and makers through their new Impact Fund and through collaborations with mission-driven partners like the Dutch Design Foundation and What Design Can Do.
This talk was recorded during WDCD Live Amsterdam 2024.