Eddy Vidal opens Galetinna pop-up on the Keizersgracht, entirely paid for out of his own pocket

For three days, Keizersgracht 349 in Amsterdam belonged to Galetinna, designer Eddy Vidal's brand. Omroep AfroNet spoke to him about togetherness as a starting point, about money and network, and about why he has only twenty-five pieces made at a time.

For three days, Keizersgracht 349 in Amsterdam was all about Galetinna. Designer Eddy Vidal had set up a pop-up of his own brand there, paid for entirely out of his own pocket, just like the two editions in Paris that came before it. Letras from Omroep AfroNet dropped by and spoke to him on the second day, when the first visitors had already come and gone and the final day was still ahead.

Anyone walking past could see right away that this was something different from an ordinary shop: everything was green. Behind that image, Eddy says, lies a story about togetherness, which he unpacks step by step in the conversation. Omroep AfroNet made the report itself, with interview and production by Letras. Friends of Eddy's, who have known him since long before the brand existed, also have their say.

A dream, a daughter and a name

Eddy worked for thirteen years in the creative industry, as a graphic designer and art director, before deciding to tell his story in his own way. As someone with Angolan roots, he wanted to understand what he had brought with him, what he had found again in the Netherlands, and how the two can go together. Galetinna, he says, stands for "the essence of togetherness".

The name itself didn't mean anything at first. Eddy says he dreamed that he had a daughter and wrote the name down. The next day he woke up with the feeling that he had to do something with it. The meaning came later, when he connected it to his own experience: in the Netherlands, he was embraced by people who don't look like him, in different places and in different circles.

For him, that idea belongs to design as well, because design is where different elements keep coming together. Eddy says everyone is welcome in the shop, young or old, of any colour. He hopes Galetinna will grow into a platform for young creatives, for example an emerging graphic designer on the continent or in Suriname, who could become visible in the diaspora that way. Working together comes first, he says, not just inspiring others.

Everything out of his own pocket

Letras asked how he managed to open a pop-up, first twice in Paris and now in the centre of Amsterdam. Eddy's answer is short: it is all his own money, nobody gave him anything. He says he put his ego aside and simply asked for help, for instance from people with a property who were willing to help him for half the price. In his early years he did a lot of work for free, not because he wanted to, but in order to learn, and some of those people can now open doors for him.

In Paris, a network he built himself helped. As a young man he travelled to that city for sneaker drops and stood in line outside shops, where he got to know people who later started their own agency or became models. For his launch he posted calls on TikTok and LinkedIn. He launched the brand during Paris Fashion Week, because everyone is in the city then anyway. It isn't about millions or thousands of euros, he says, but about budgeting: what can you invest and what can you afford to lose.

In the Netherlands it was harder. Eddy says that finding this location was more difficult and that his network here turned out to be smaller than he thought. To young people who feel inspired by him, he passes on what his mentor once told him: take action. Start small, he says, but make sure your voice is heard.

Twenty-five pieces at a time

Galetinna is a year old, and Eddy deliberately says he is not yet part of the fashion world. He says: "Ik hoor er nog niet bij. Ik ben mijzelf aan het introduceren." Above all, he sees clothing as a way to tell a story about togetherness. He has twenty-five pieces made at a time by small workshops in Portugal, which he knows personally. When those are gone, a new run follows. His plan for next year is a capsule of six or seven items, enough for a complete look for men and women.

He is happy with the turnout. According to Eddy, between eighty and ninety people came by on the first day. On the second day, with better weather, he estimated about a hundred and fifty. The shape of the bags is inspired by great rivers in Africa, but he doesn't want anyone to be able to trace the design back one to one. Contemporary and elegant is his starting point.

Anyone who couldn't make it can order later. The brown bags, the t-shirts and three caps were only available at the pop-up. What is left will go online at galetinna.com about two weeks after the interview, Eddy says. Next year he wants to complete a circle: starting in Paris and ending in Amsterdam.

What friends see

The friends Letras spoke to have known the brand from the very beginning. One of them has a sportswear brand of his own and says the product fits the story Eddy tells. He points out that visitors see the finished product, but not the brainstorming sessions and late nights behind it. You have to want to get one percent further every day, he says, and celebrate the small steps too.

Another friend sees in the organic shape of the bag the river carving its way through, much like you find your own way. He thinks that is a good starting point for the design. At the close, Eddy himself stresses that he isn't doing this alone. He designs a lot, but his team and the people who visit the shop make it complete, he says.

Background

According to CBS figures on Allecijfers.nl, more than 10,000 residents of the Netherlands (10,488) had Angolan origins in 2026. Portugal, where Eddy produces, has almost 12,000 textile and clothing companies, most of them small, according to Portugal Clothing Factory, a group of Portuguese clothing manufacturers. That company also reports that the sector exported about 5.5 billion euros in 2025, according to the Portuguese statistics office INE. The French fashion federation FHCM reports that Paris Fashion Week for women runs from 28 September to 6 October this year. According to the Paris tourist office, the next women's week is scheduled for 27 September to 5 October 2027. Whether Eddy's next pop-up in Paris will coincide with that week was not mentioned in the conversation.

You can watch the full video with Eddy Vidal on the Omroep AfroNet channel.

Bronnen

• Omroep AfroNet op YouTube: de video
• CBS-cijfers via Allecijfers.nl: Migratieachtergrond Angola
• Portugal Clothing Factory: Textile Production in Portugal
• Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode: Paris Fashion Week 2026
• Paris je t'aime: Paris Fashion Week 2027