Inge Onsea

Inge Onsea was born in Edegem on January 18, 1970, and is a woman of many talents: she began her career as a hostess and model and even sang as a backup vocalist for the band The Dinky Toys! When Esfan Eghtessadi, the son of fashion designer Nicole Cadine, first saw Inge Onsea, their love story immediately blossomed. This led to marriage, the birth of two children—Ishan and Azar—and the creation of Essentiel. In 1999, they launched a t-shirt collection on the market, consisting of four designs in twenty different colors. Their apartment served as a showroom, and the t-shirts sold like hotcakes. A year later, the first Essentiel store opened in Antwerp. Today, Essentiel Antwerp is sold in no fewer than 780 stores worldwide, with the label boasting 37 of its own shops. This Antwerp success story now employs over 250 people. Inge Onsea remains the Creative Director of this Belgian brand, which has been adding vibrant color to Belgian fashion for 25 years, even making an appearance in ‘Emily in Paris’!