Strenesse

German brand of women’s clothing designed by Gabriele Strehle. The label takes its name from the Strehle couple who set up a firm selling coats and clothes in a very classic style in 1949 in Noerdingen. The end of the 1960s marked the first big turning point for the brand. To the root of the family’s surname — Stre — they add “nesse,” intending, explained Gerd, the heir to the firm, to create a French-sounding brand that immediately conjures images of fashion. Gabriele, Gerd’s wife, took charge of the stylistic changes. Having entered the firm in the 1970s with a diploma from Munich Fashion College, Gabriele changed the feel of the collection, which led indirectly to a restructuring of the firm. The new client that Strenesse was addressing was a contemporary woman that combines aesthetics with functionality in a quintessential style: she keeps up with the times but does not acknowledge the excesses of fashion. It is this new breed of more mature customer that they wished to target. In 1993, the line Strenesse Blue was created to integrate a selection of informal clothes with the formal designs of the first collection. And a broadening of the label’s distribution network on an international scale was implemented at the same time. Italy was chosen as the springboard for this international launch. Strenesse showed for the first time in Milan in 1995. Coinciding with its runway debut, Strenesse Group Italia was launched, a subsidiary that operates independently from its German parent company. In 1996, the German company signed its first licensing contract for making shoes and in 1997 an agreement for bags. In early 1998, Strenesse had 370 employees, producing 800,000 garments a year for 350 clients in Germany and 450 abroad. It sales for the year were worth 130 million marks. 1998 and 1999 brought new turning points: Gabriele was still the company’s force for change and is described by her husband Gerd as “the company’s fortune.” In 1998, she signed her first collection in her own name, thereby creating a new identity for the company.
&Quad;1999. The licensed Gabriele Strehle Jeans brand was launched.
&Quad;2000. Strehle GmbH & Co became Strenesse AG. Strenesse USA Inc. was founded in New York. Simultaneously, Strenesse Italia SpA was set up in Milan, dedicated to men’s clothing.
&Quad;2001. The first line of Strenesse Gabriele Strehle perfumes was launched.
&Quad;2002. Strenesse launched a website at www.strenesse.com and The Limitless Luxury Collection, a CD with music from the collection.
&Quad;2002, March. A flagship store was opened in Tokyo.
&Quad;2004, May. Boris Becker (three times Wimbledon tennis champion) signed a contract to advertise Strenesse AG. It was the result of the sportsman’s fondness and interest in fashion and style, and because he has been nominated as the best dressed man in Germany on several occasions.