Kees de Waal, the founder of the Dutch fashion chain Hij, has died in New York at the age of 103. De Waal, who had lived in New York for many years, passed away on Saturday.

De Waal made a name for himself as the founder of Hij, a popular men’s fashion chain in the Netherlands where many Dutch men purchased clothing in the late 20th century.

Even though he had transferred the company’s day-to-day operations to his son Ronald in 1984, Kees de Waal remained active as a real estate investor, artist, and philanthropist. In 2019, Quote magazine estimated his wealth at 250 million euros. His son Ronald de Waal, who later expanded the men’s fashion chain into a broader business known as WE, reportedly had assets of 425 million euros.

Entrepreneurship ran in the De Waal family. In 1917, E.H. de Waal established a wholesale company named Sir Edwin in Amsterdam, specializing in sweaters and underwear. In 1962, his son Kees decided to launch a fashion store called Hij Herenmode, which later became Hij Mannenmode. The first store opened in Haarlem, and within two decades, Hij stores could be found on nearly every Dutch shopping street.

Kees de Waal also expanded internationally. In 1977, he started a Swiss branch called Hey Männermode, which quickly established stores in most major Swiss cities within five years. Men’s fashion stores also opened in France, Belgium, and Germany. Following the acquisition of Witteveen-mode, stores for women, known as Zij, also emerged under the leadership of his son Ronald. Eventually, the company rebranded as WE, which now operates over two hundred stores, and the holding company was renamed WE International.

After retiring from the business in 1984, Kees de Waal remained active. He acquired the properties of the bankrupt candy chain Jamin that same year and leased them back to the restarted company. His real estate holdings were placed in a separate company, Henrar, which De Waal sold to the Pension Fund for the Metal Industry in the late 1990s for a substantial profit. Subsequently, he pursued a career as an artist and philanthropist, establishing the De Waal Foundation, which supported disabled street children in South America and other regions. He also exhibited his artwork publicly, though he generally preferred to stay out of the spotlight.