Copenhagen, São Paulo and Los Angeles: Veja continues its international expansion

Twenty years after its creation by the duo Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion, Veja, the French brand of sustainable sneakers, is accelerating the development of its international store network. The program includes three new strategic addresses: Copenhagen in Denmark, São Paulo in Brazil, and Los Angeles in the United States.

On June 11, Veja opened a store in São Paulo, symbolizing its historic attachment to Brazil, where it sources its raw materials, such as organic cotton and Amazon rubber) and manufactures its products according to fair trade principles.

Across the Atlantic, the brand has just inaugurated its first outlet on the West Coast of the United States, in Los Angeles, at 1108C Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the Venice district. The choice was not made by chance: “This mythical neighborhood is one of the few places in Los Angeles where people still walk,” explained the brand. In addition to sneakers, the minimalist, mineral boutique, which has taken the place of a former dairy, houses a shoe-making workshop.

In the near future, the brand will open its first boutique in the Scandinavia at 40B Pilestræde, on the corner of Svaertegade in central Copenhagen. It’s a natural fit for Veja with a clientele attentive to environmental issues and clean design.

In almost twenty years, Veja has established itself as one of the pioneering brands in the sustainable fashion sector. By 2023, it had passed the 200 million euro sales milestone, rising to 245 million euros by 2024. The company, still independent, is 100% owned by its two founders.

Today, Veja distributes its products through almost 3,000 retailers worldwide, twice as many as five years ago. The breakdown of its sales in 2024 reflects the diversity of its sales channels: 70% wholesale, 20% e-commerce, and 10% via its dozen own boutiques.

Last May, Veja enriched its product offering with the launch of a new model: its first sandal, christened “Etna”. Inspired by the classics of the tropical wardrobe, this sandal is designed with a thick, light, and grippy Amazonian rubber sole, and an insole in EVA green, a flexible material derived from sugar cane.

This launch, which is also marked by a collaboration with French brand Homecore, symbolizes Veja’s ambition to diversify its offering while remaining true to its DNA.