Akris

Akris
Private
Industry Fashion
Founded 1922
Founder Alice Kriemler-Schoch
Headquarters St.Gallen, Switzerland
Number of locations
 Over 500 points of sale worldwide including freestanding boutiques
Key people
 Albert Kriemler, Head Designer and Creative Director; Peter Kriemler, CEO
Products Luxury goods
Website www.akris.ch

Akris is a Swiss fashion label specializing in luxury goods for women and was founded by Alice Kriemler-Schoch.

Foundation

Akris was founded in 1922 by Alice Kriemler-Schoch; the word “Akris” was derived from the letters of Kriemler-Schoch's name.[1][2] The company initially made simple, dotted aprons that were crafted by Kriemler-Schoch on a single sewing machine.[1][3][4] Each piece is still designed in Switzerland and the Swiss dot (polka dot) is still used by the company on gift boxes and tissue paper as well as the logo of the Akris Punto line.7 In 1944, Kriemler-Schoch's son Max Kriemler took over the business.[1][3] The company grew significantly and began producing ready-to-wear clothing.[5][6] Following the lead of Max Kriemler, Akris also produced clothes for French designers Givenchy and Ted Lapidus.[5]

However, in 1980, Max Kriemler’s right-hand man died. Though Max’s son Albert had planned to travel to Paris to study fashion and apprentice at Givenchy, Max asked Albert to postpone his education for two years to assist in the company’s transition.[4][6][7] He agreed.[6] Albert would never complete his fashion education; within those two years, he had already begun to take over the company.[6] Peter Kriemler, Albert’s brother, joined Akris in 1987 after studies at St. Gallen University on law and economy to head its financial side.[4] Peter is now Akris’s global president, handling management and manufacturing.[1][5] Peter Kriemler is credited with bringing the Akris collection to Asia with subsidiaries in Japan and Korea, as well as developing the worldwide network of directly operated stores.[4]

Since 2002, the Akris collection is shown during Paris fashion week-the only Swiss house in the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode.

Timeline

[10]

Collections

In 1995, Akris introduced a new line called AKRIS Punto.[3] The Akris Punto collection has an emphasis on "relaxed sportswear". In 2009, Akris expanded its Prêt-a-Porter offering with the introduction of handbags featuring horsehair textile, a woven fabric made from the tail-hair.

In 2000, Akris was admitted to the French Chambre Syndicale, the governing body of the French fashion industry.[5] The company delayed participating in Paris Fashion Week until 2004, when it was able to secure a spot on one of the event’s most important days.[4][5] In the 2000s, the company was one of the world's fastest-growing designer brands,[3][6] selling at stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.[4] Akris's success is largely due to trunk shows and word of mouth;[4] the company does very little advertising.[5] Unlike other fashion houses, the company does not produce fragrances and does not license its name.[4][5] Akris have a reputation for working with artists and have collaborated with the German photographer Thomas Ruff and the English painter David Wightman (painter) for their Fall / Winter 2014/15 collection.[10]

Campaigns

Renowned photographer Steven Klein has shot the Akris collections for the past fifteen years and recently the Akris Fall 2011 Winter 2012 campaign.

Sales and stores

Akris is the largest Swiss clothing producer, though it does not disclose sales or profit figures.[4][5] Its value has been reported as approximately US$500 million; the company has not disputed this figure,[4] but the number may be an overestimate “judging from [Albert] Kriemler’s response when that number is tossed out.[5] Akris clothing is sold in more than 500 locations worldwide.[5]

Approximately 40% of Akris sales are in North America.[11] Akris was first sold in the United States in 1998;[11] the brand can now be found in 70 U.S. stores, including over 20 Neiman Marcus locations and 30-some Saks Fifth Avenue locations.[5] Freestanding Akris boutiques are located in Boston, New York City, and Dallas.[5] Akris Punto is sold in approximately 100 stores in the United States.[5]

Celebrities

Several female celebrities are known to have worn Akris designs. Nicole Kidman spotted a coat in a store window on a Sunday evening and ordered it the following morning. Other fans include Angelina Jolie, Diane Sawyer, HSH Charlene, Princess of Monaco, Susan Sarandon, Doris Yaffe, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice among many others.[12]

Garment production

The company’s headquarters are located in St. Gallen, Switzerland with 200 employees.[5] The design process begins with the fabric; Kriemler then sketches his designs.[2][7] Akris fabrics are often custom-produced; sometimes, development of a fabric may take years.[7] Most of the fabrics used in Akris clothing are produced in specialized mills in northern Italy.[5]

Akris clothing is generally produced in ateliers in St. Gallen, Zurich, and Ticino, Switzerland.[5][7] Kriemler has aimed to continue St. Gallen’s textile-based history by hiring local artisans.[2] About half of the company’s 280 manufacturing employees are highly skilled artisans;[5] two years of training are required for a seamstress to master the hand-finishing of Akris’s double-faced cashmere jackets, each of which requires two and a half days to complete.[4][5]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 "Albert Kriemler Biography". Informant. 4/5/2011. Retrieved 24 July 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Johnson, Marylin. "Savvy women follow the dots to classy Akris". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (January 5, 2003).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Socha, Miles. "A Swiss account". W (October 1, 2003).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 Givhan, Robin. "Luxury, Pure Style, Understated Eloquence: Akris's Creations For Women of Power". The Washington Post (May 31, 2005).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 Krienke, Mary. "Luxe without a logo" (PDF). Swiss News (September 1, 2007)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Walton, A. Scott. "Akris steps up as a fast-rising prestige brand". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (April 24, 2003).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gillan Griffin, Linda. “Designer creates clothing with Swiss precision”. The Houston Chronicle.
  8. ↑ "Swiss Design Awards". Albert Kriemler.
  9. ↑ "Albert Kriemler Fashion Group International Awards". Elle Magazine.
  10. ↑ Holt, Emily. "Akris / Fall 2014 RTW". vogue.com. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Socha, Miles. "Akris names Brown U.S. chief". Women's Wear Daily (November 13, 2006).
  12. ↑ Hume, Marion (September 11, 2006). "Stealth Style". Time. Retrieved 24 July 2013.

External links