Paris in the 1920s. The young Edouard Beerens marries and receives as a wedding gift from his mother her atelier for aprons and overalls in the heart of the city. On this basis, he starts his own label, Vetra, in 1927, for which he designs a complete collection of work clothes for men. As a name, he chooses the short form for "Vêtements de travail" (work clothes). Success soon forced him to expand, which is why the entire company first moved to the Hauts-de-France region in the north of the country in 1930, and subsequently kept opening new branches throughout France. Vetra workwear is sold for decades through specialized stores and to industrial companies. It enjoys such an outstanding reputation that it even becomes the subject of collective bargaining with some unions after the 1968 strikes.

However, the fashion industry has long since taken notice of the company. Currently, Richard and Edouard Beerens, the founder's great-grandchildren, run the business. They preserve the heritage of the past, explore it with a sense of discovery, and develop from it, with style and an eye for detail, garments for everyday wear whose form is derived entirely from their function.