Germany’s fashion story mixes trade fairs, sportswear giants and rural Alpine dress.
Fashion weeks and designers
Berlin Fashion Week, established in July 2007, takes place twice a year, in January and July, and since 2011 part of it has been staged in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin was the country’s fashion capital until 1945, after which Düsseldorf took over, with Igedo showing collections there from March 1949. Names listed among renowned German designers include Jil Sander, Wolfgang Joop, Karl Lagerfeld and Hugo Boss.
Sportswear and tradition
Adidas and Puma both come from Herzogenaurach, founded by the brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler in 1924 and 1948 respectively. In Bavaria, the traditional dirndl is worn, and six Alpine Tracht types are officially recognised there: Miesbacher, Werdenfelser, Inntaler, Chiemgauer, Berchtesgadener and Isarwinkler. Elsewhere, the industry is substantial: the German textile sector comprises about 1,300 companies with more than 130,000 employees, and the online retailer Zalando, founded in Berlin in 2008, is among the best-known names.
Sources: Wikipedia: Fashion in Germany, Wikipedia: Dirndl.
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