We have heard a lot about the quality of German cars and equipment, but the phrase “German fashion” sounds somewhat contradictory. Despite everything, one of the clearest examples that classics can be fashionable, successful and popular is the German brand Hugo Boss.
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was born in 1885 in Germany in the city of Metzingen. Received technical secondary special education, and also learned trade. Hugo worked in weaving factories for several years and in 1908, after the death of his parents, he inherited a textile store. The same year for the young entrepreneur was marked by his marriage to Anna Katharina Freisinger. Soon the newlyweds had a daughter, Gertrude.
Long before the classic Boss suits: the uniform
By 1923, Hugo opened a small factory based on the store he had inherited and gradually expanded it, producing uniforms for postmen, policemen and workers. Two years later, the company was hit by difficult financial times and the owner began to expand production, offering clothes in new directions; for example, hunting clothes. The boss took out a loan to buy new equipment, some workers agreed to reduce wages, but this did not improve the situation.
The year 1931 was difficult not only for Hugo Boss: the crisis in the country forced many entrepreneurs to curtail their businesses. At this point, Hugo made a decision that is quite controversial today, which allowed his company to stay afloat and survive in hard times: The boss became a member of the National Socialist Party of Germany, which allowed his company to fulfill orders for the production of uniforms for the CC, CA, and Hitler Youth. It is stated that Hugo Boss himself was not involved in the design and development of the uniforms and regalia; this work was done by Karl Diebitsch.
From 1932 to 1945, the Hugo Boss factory almost completely dressed the German army, from ordinary soldiers to Wehrmacht officers. During the Second World War, his enterprise was declared an important military enterprise. The factory employed more than 150 forced laborers from Eastern Europe and France.
No voting rights, no founder
1946 opened the next difficult period in the history of Hugo Boss: The Third Reich fell, the ideas of fascism were declared criminal and all enterprises that collaborated with them fell into disgrace. This fate did not pass Hugo by and he paid a large fine at that time of 80,000 marks, and was also deprived of the right to vote.
Two years later, Hugo Boss died and his production was taken over by his son-in-law Jogen Holy. Hugo Boss once again began producing uniforms for railway workers and police officers.
Hugo Boss's first men's suit
In 1953, Hugo Boss decided to produce a classic men's suit for the first time. Gradually, the brand is moving away from the mass market and moving towards High Fashion. In 1967, the company was taken over by the founder's grandchildren Johann and Ove. Thanks to them, Hugo Boss has become a world famous brand.
In the 70s, Hugo Boss expanded and developed, becoming the largest men's clothing manufacturer in Germany and an influential fashion house with Werner Baldessarini as its chief designer. Hugo Boss sponsored golf and tennis championships and Formula 1 races. In 1984, the first fragrance from Hugo Boss appeared.
Italian temperament and German restraint
The next leap in the development of Hugo Boss was the acquisition of the brand by the Italian Marzotto SpA, which today is the Fashion Group. The heirs of the brand founder no longer have any connection with the company, and it is led by Peter Littman. He identified several lines aimed at different consumer audiences:
Classic Boss line
Hugo Youth Line
Luxury line Baldessarini
Combining classic foundations with fashion trends, Hugo Boss has won many fans.
2000s
The beginning of the 21st century turned out to be more than eventful for Hugo Boss. The brand launched a women's clothing line. Was again accused of collaborating with the Nazis and singled out a large sum to a fund to support victims of the criminal regime. A children's line was launched, as well as lines of men's cosmetics and optics. Hugo Boss launched production together with Swarovski women's jewelry and accessories. A mobile phone was released together with Samsung.
Hugo Boss today
The Hugo Boss brand has expanded its lines and today is presented as follows:
Premium clothing and accessories BOSS Black Label
Luxury men's clothing and accessories BOSS Selection
Modern clothes in sporty style BOSS Green
Practical casual clothing and accessories BOSS Orange
Avant-garde clothing and accessories HUGO
Hugo Boss produces more than 40 men's and women's fragrances together with the Procter & Gamble concern.
Hugo Boss (Russian: Hugo Boss) is a German company, a manufacturer of fashionable clothing. The brand was founded in Germany in 1923. The main shareholder of the company is the Italian Valentino Fashion Group, it owns 50.9% of the shares.
Brand Hugo Boss
About company
Hugo Boss is a popular German company that produces clothes mainly in a classic style. This is necessarily a strict image and clear lines, because the main clients are executives, politicians and entrepreneurs who need clothes that represent the status of its owner. In addition, the luxury perfumes and accessories produced by the brand are successful. But the company has been achieving this success for almost 100 years, starting with the production of protective clothing and soldier uniforms.
Brand history
The history of the company goes back to 1923, when Hugo Boss opened a workwear tailoring shop in Metzingen (Germany) where his family worked. The atelier grows into a small factory, but the enterprise cannot survive the crisis, and Hugo Boss joins the Nazi party and receives large orders for sewing uniforms for military personnel. Its factories employ prisoners of war. But after the end of the war, the entrepreneur was accused of collaborating with the Nazis and imposed a huge fine.
Hugo Boss died in 1948 and his children and grandchildren took control of the company and turned the company towards the world of high fashion, gradually turning the brand into a global brand. A perfume line is launched. The Fashion House is founded.
In 1993, the company was bought by Valentino Fashion Group. Global changes in the brand structure are taking place. There are lines designed for different target audiences. These include the timeless classic “Black Lable” for young men, the youth trend “Orange Lable” for a casual weekend, and luxury clothing “Baldessarini” – elegant, expensive clothing for the financial and political elite.
In 2000, a women's business line and a casual line were launched, and later a children's line. A large project of luxury accessories is entering the market. These are luxury eyewear, watch production in cooperation with a Swiss company, men's cosmetics, women's jewelry, together with the company.
In 2009, the company begins producing a mobile phone Samsung.
Hugo Boss brand products is an indicator of the excellent taste and elegance of its owner. The company is actively engaged in social activities; this name has become a lifestyle, a symbol of well-being. Therefore, it is not surprising that the company currently generates revenues of about $1.5 billion. The number of employees working in the company exceeded 9,000 people.
Only expensive materials are used to sew clothing models, because they are made in the highest-rated factories in the world. The leather for the products of the "Boss Hugo Boss" line is tanned only in Germany and England from lambs raised in Alpine meadows and passed the most meticulous test for the absence of fat under the skin.
Facts about the company
- Every year the company produces 200 tuxedos for the Oscars.
- Since 1995, Hugo Boss has sponsored a network of Guggenheim museums in different cities and countries.
- Provides sponsorship support for Formula 1 and golf competitions. Helps other elite sports.
- The main shareholder of the company is Valentino Fashion Group.
- Chief Executive Officer - Bruno Selzer.
- Products are presented in 120 countries in more than 6,000 stores.
Any story can be told with numbers and facts. But not the history of the Hugo Boss brand. And if fashion houses have a destiny, then the German company Hugo Boss AG, whose headquarters is located in Metzingen, has a difficult one. Many people today are fascinated by the following facts:
- Supplier of luxury tuxedos for the Oscars (200 pieces annually).
- Sponsor of the Guggenheim Museum of Art and its affiliates.
- One of the patrons of Formula 1 auto racing and “aristocratic” sports.
- 6,000 branded salons in 120 countries.
But there were periods of fiasco - bankruptcy, loss of reputation. But the brand survived. In the modern fashion industry, this is one of the most famous and most respectable Haute Couture houses. Its history is so closely intertwined with the history of the era that it is studied not only by fashion chroniclers, but also by researchers of ancient events. The historian-publicist Roman Köster published a book on this subject, “Hugo Boss, 1924-1945. A clothing factory between the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich."
To the origins of formation
The forerunner to the formation of the brand was the opening of a business by an ordinary tailor named Hugo Ferdinand Boss. It was a period of reconstruction for the country: the devastating First World War had just ended. Germany, like all of Europe, needed textile products at that time. To this end, in 1923, Hugo opened his first company in a small town in Baden-Württemberg. Thus began the history of one of the famous and respected brands. Things took off - he soon became the owner of a factory that made uniforms for police officers, postmen and laborers.
Two years later, in 1925, the workforce numbered 33 employees. A time of crisis is approaching, and as a way out of it, Hugo expands his assortment, adding hunting equipment, national costumes, rubber raincoats, and leather jackets to his uniform. Some dedicated employees agree to take a pay cut for the good of the cause.
But the widespread crisis of that period took its toll. By 1930, Hugo Ferdinand Boss was forced to declare bankruptcy. It’s paradoxical: the founder of the Hugo Boss brand did not think about fashion, about the high mission of beautifying women and masculine elegance. He was a practical man with an entrepreneurial spirit. He turned out to be a victim of time, and a name was laid on the altar, the honor of which had to be restored by children and grandchildren.
In the service of the 3rd Reich
It is known that in addition to economic phenomena, any business is influenced by political and social events. Thanks to them, Hugo's company got a chance for revenge. The year 1931 was marked by the owner’s entry into the National Socialist party ranks. And since 1932, his factory began to work for the authorities. The entire German army, including Wehrmacht officers, began to wear uniforms issued by the company. True, the design of the military equipment of the SS, SA, and Hitler Youth belongs not to Hugo Boss, but to Karl Diebitsch. To increase production volumes during this period, Polish, Ukrainian, and French prisoners of war worked in sewing workshops.
Of course, these facts could not go unnoticed after the end of the war. Hugo Boss was convicted of collaborating with the Nazis and was punished with a fine and deprivation of voting. And a big dark spot fell on the company’s reputation. But it was the post-war years again, the company turned out to be in demand. German postmen and police officers again wore uniforms from a tailor who did not even suspect that his name would be crowned with a standard classic in clothing.
New stage - new format
The year 1948 was marked by a tragic event: Hugo Boss dies. The company lives and develops further thanks to the traditions of family. In the 50s, the factory sewed not only uniforms, but also the first suits for men. This was the first step, the first interest in fashion trends. So workwear gives way to stylish things. The picture completely changes in 1967: the grandchildren of the founder, siblings among themselves - Johan and Uwe Holi take the company into their own hands. In the context of a general economic recovery, they take the Hugo Boss case to the highest level.
Period 70-80 marked with very important milestones:
- In 1972, Hugo Boss established a tradition of sponsoring annual Formula 1 races and other championships.
- In 1975, the company's staff was joined by the brightest designer of our time - Werner Baldessarini.
- 1984 is the debut year for the brand's perfumes.
The Holy brothers turned out to be great strategists. In 1985 the company was transformed into Joint-Stock Company and takes on the official name Hugo Boss A.G. Now it is the largest European and world manufacturer of classic clothing intended for men. A women's suit from Hugo Boss will be released in 1998.
Therefore, in 1993, the company was placed under the management of the Italian group of companies Marzotto (now Valentino Fashion Group). The Hawley brothers were replaced by Peter Littman, who did some rebranding. Now the Hugo Boss brand is represented by trademarks aimed at different target audiences:
- Boss. Respectable classic wardrobe.
- Hugo. Bold, extravagant youth clothing.
- Baldessarini. Luxury brand.
Peter Littman turned out to be a believer in social competence. In 1996, the Hugo Boss Award was approved for success and achievements in art. A year later, management admitted Hugo Boss's complicity with the Nazis and pledged to pay compensation to everyone who worked in captivity at their grandfather's production. This step was appreciated in the international community: the Hugo Boss brand began to be linked with Nazism much less frequently. But in 2000 there will again be those who will again present to their descendants the sins of their grandfather. Hugo Boss A.G. join public organization“Memory, Responsibility, Future” and will allocate 500,000 pounds sterling to compensate for the labor and moral damage of former forced laborers.
2000s: triumph and globalization
At the beginning of the new century, the assortment policy of Hugo Boss A.G. expands its horizons. Since 2000, the traditionally masculine brand has begun feminization: the first serious collection for women was released.
In 2002, little fashionistas will begin to wear the brand, because the Hugo Boss children's line will quickly fit into the needs and fashion trends for children.
In 2004, the brand will conquer the classic trendsetter - France. Of course, it will be Paris, of course, the Champs Elysees. Here, at number 115, a huge mono-brand boutique will open.
In 2005, the Boss Skin line was launched - cosmetics for the stronger sex. In addition, a license was obtained to produce personalized glasses.
The year 2006 was marked by the brand's first collaboration with Jamiroquai band leader Jay Kay. The JK for Hugo collection consists mainly of biker jackets and gloves and jersey clothing.
In 2007, Werner Baldessarini bought out the brand of the same name, and replaced it on the fashion catwalk with a pre-developed alternative line, Boss Selection.
In 2008, Hugo Boss A.G received the licensing right to produce women's jewelry in partnership with the Swarovski brand.
In 2009, the company decided to release an elite model Samsung phone Hugo Boss.
Hugo Boss of the XXI century
On the global fashion catwalk Hugo Boss A.G. presented today by two brands: HUGO and BOSS. Perfume, accessory lines and the richest collections of clothing are created and produced under each of them. Each series has its own adherents, its own target audience.
- Black Label. These are premium items for professional and work activities, for formal and informal dates. Men's, women's, children's lines.
- Selection. Luxury models and accessories for men.
- Green. Sportswear for men and women, accessories.
- Orange. The same directions, but casual with an emphasis on practicality.
- HUGO: Avant-garde women's and men's clothing, accessories. The brand is aimed at a progressive attitude towards fashion.
- Perfume Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss produces its fragrance products in close alliance with Procter & Gamble. The brand's first men's perfume is Hugo Boss No. 1 (1985). Today there are more than 40 original fragrances from Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss perfumes are included in the top rankings of world-famous perfumery products.
Today, a Hugo Boss item is the standard of style, the height of elegance, success and self-respect. The brand's clothing looks great in any setting - from a social event to a visit to a palace. For each outfit you can choose perfectly matching shoes and brand accessories. Because the designers of this Fashion House offer understandable, but at the same time cool things that are not just comfortable, but also look incredibly stylish.
In 1923, Hugo Boss founded the company in the small German city of Metzingen. In the 1920s, he created overalls, protective clothing, raincoats and uniforms for soldiers and workers, sometimes without even indicating his name, and the suits that made the brand famous only began to be produced in 1953, a few years after the death of Hugo himself.
In the following decades the company experienced ups and downs, and it was only in the 1970s that Uwe and Johan Holy, now Hugo's grandchildren, were able to put the business on a secure footing. It was they who approved the name of their grandfather as the name of the company - it emanated solidity, it was readable and easy to pronounce in almost all languages - and began step by step to establish the company's authority in the international arena and increase sales volumes.
Hugo Boss
A successful and decisive PR move for Hugo Boss was the creation of clothing for the film Rocky 4 starring Sylvester Stallone. Later, the Hugo Boss brand used this move again and provided clothing to the heroes of the popular American TV series Miami Vice.
Today, the German company Hugo Boss is one of the most influential in the fashion world and has an annual turnover of about one and a half billion dollars a year.
As part of the extensive HUGO BOSS sales network, which includes 250 BOSS brand stores, the brand is represented in more than 100 countries. Thanks to the active work of HUGO BOSS in various areas, this name has become a symbol of prosperity, modern perception life, lifestyle.
Every year the company provides about 200 tuxedos for the Academy Awards ceremony. World-famous Hollywood stars prefer HUGO BOSS to other men's clothing brands. Regular clients of the Boss Hugo Boss brand are the most famous men in the world, such as Antonio Banderas, John Travolta, Brad Pitt, etc.
Since 1995, HUGO BOSS has been an active supporter of the renowned Guggenheim network of contemporary art museums in 4 cities around the world.
Formula 1 fans and golf fans are probably aware that HUGO BOSS is one of the sponsors of these elite sports competitions. Leading Formula 1 drivers Michael Schumacher, Miko Hakkinen and David Coulthard, famous tennis players Stefan Edberg and Thomas Muster, as well as one of the world's most famous golfers Phil Michelsen make up the majority of their wardrobe from HUGO BOSS models.
From a menswear brand once associated with classic, perfectly cut suits, BOSS HUGO BOSS has transformed into an upscale clothing brand that harmoniously combines traditional classics with leisure and social wear.
The Hugo Boss man is active, focused and success-oriented; in addition, he is also self-confident, has impeccable taste, and keeps up with the times.
Black main label - BOSS brand HUGO BOSS for successful businessmen, top managers, politicians.
Hugo HUGO BOSS is a red label for advanced informal youth.
And the Baldessarini HUGO BOSS brand is for sophisticated clients; the clothes of this brand are sewn by hand.
The orange label of the brand "Boss Sport Hugo Boss" is presented for people who love an active lifestyle.
All these brands make HUGO BOSS a trendsetter in the international arena. All clothing models are made exclusively from expensive materials, since 80% of the materials for Hugo Boss are made by the most famous weaving factories.
The leather for the branded "Boss Hugo Boss" jackets is made only in England and Germany. At the same time, lambs are specially raised in Alpine meadows, after which only those animals are selected that have the least amount of fat under their skin - this contributes to further elasticity of the skin. One long jacket requires 4 to 6 lambs!
To ensure an appropriate presentation of its products, HUGO BOSS sells them exclusively in carefully selected exclusive stores as well as BOSS brand stores. Quality and design, innovation and creativity are the driving elements of the company.
Probably, the phrase “German fashion” may seem somewhat unusual to some, but there is a brand in the world that refutes this skepticism. This is Hugo Boss, one of the best-known and most prestigious brands that has achieved success in the very complex and capricious field of producing ready-to-wear, that is, ready-to-wear clothing made on the basis of the dominant trends of a given season. Throughout its history, the company has seen many dramatic turns, and each time some outstanding personality played a role in overcoming the problems, using an unusual marketing technique.
Founder
Biographers of Hugo Boss differ in some points of his life story, but judging by the indisputable information, we can conclude that he:
- Born in Metzingen in 1885 into a middle-class bourgeois family.
- He graduated from school, a vocational school and received a special education in trade.
- He worked as a weaver, then served in the Reichswehr (1902-1905), and after demobilization he again became a simple worker, and remained so until his parents died.
- Having inherited the family business, he got married.
- From 1914 to 1918 he was again in the army, but did not perform any special feats at the front.
Perhaps some details of the biography are of historical interest, however, since they are not directly related to business, we can consider that the above is quite sufficient. Hugo Boss opened his own business in his native Metzingen in 1923, already at the ripe age of 38. He most likely did not shine with any outstanding talents.
Your own business
The direction in which Herr Boss decided to succeed should objectively be considered promising. Uniforms for schutzmanns, firefighters, postmen and other government employees, in theory, should always be in demand. People can buy these dresses and suits or not, but the authorities will certainly dress the police - that’s what Hugo thought when opening clothing industry. Probably, there were still some miscalculations in the business plan or the general economic situation in the country turned out to be worse than predicted, but by the end of the decade, Boss’s company was seriously threatened with bankruptcy. Germany paid monstrous reparations, and even state institutions did not have enough money. Historians point to the dedication of the workers who agreed to the reduction in prices, but they probably did not quit out of any special devotion to their employer, but simply because they had nowhere to go. Unemployment was breaking all records. This is where an interesting story happened.
Membership of the NSDAP
Only in 1997 did the management of the Hugo Boss brand formally recognize the obvious fact of the company's collaboration with the Nazi leadership of Germany. Actually, there would be nothing special about this - not a single German brand that survived the Second world war, did not maintain a clean reputation. The point is different. Hugo Boss joined the NSDAP two years before Hitler came to power, and even sewed brown shirts for stormtroopers. It is quite possible that the ideas of National Socialism seemed close to the founder of the enterprise (many people then “bought” the beautiful words). On the other hand, the Nazis paid money, which was not at all extra for a bankrupt company. The controversy surrounding whether Hugo Boss was a convinced fascist, or simply pretending to be one for commercial reasons, continues to this day.
Karl Diebitsch, designer
Hugo Boss was not an artist-fashion designer, he had no experience in designing clothes, and his enterprise sewed mainly uniforms, which did not require particularly sophisticated approaches. When in 1934 the company received an order to develop uniforms for SS officers, Karl Diebitsch got down to business and managed to create a unique example of its kind, combining the original aesthetics characteristic of the Third Reich. The form made a frightening impression. In war conditions, however, black tunics, richly decorated with runes and skulls, turned out to be impractical, and they also attracted increased attention from enemy snipers. In addition to SS uniforms, the company produced other uniforms. There were also rumors that the Boss dressed the Nazi leadership, including the Fuhrer, but there is no documentary evidence of this. A lot of soldier's clothing was required, and all sewing enterprises in Germany produced it.
Post-war period
In 1945, Hugo Boss was fined 80 thousand marks and deprived of the right to vote, mainly for the exploitation of forced labor. Slaves (French, Poles and citizens of the USSR) stolen from the occupied territories to work in Germany were kept in hellish conditions. However, the entrepreneur, who found himself in the zone of responsibility of the Western allies, was not subjected to serious reprisals and continued his business. In 1948, Hugo Boss died at the age of 63, leaving the company to his son-in-law. Under the leadership of Eugen Holy, the company continued to sew the same railway and postman uniforms with which it all began. This continued until 1967.
Uwe and Jonen Holi
The Hugo Boss brand was created by the grandchildren of Hugo Boss. Before this, a timid attempt to sew men’s “civilian” suits was made by their father Eugen Holy in 1953, and this product was probably of good quality, but did not bring success. Having become heirs, the brothers decided to radically change their business strategy. They divided their responsibilities according to the classical scheme: Uwe became technical director, taking on management responsibilities, and Jonen took up design and collections, as well as marketing and advertising. This approach paid off - turnover grew to 3.5 million Bundesmarks, and the suits sold very well, but only in Germany. Some kind of “trick” was required.
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