Akris - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Akris is a Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

fashion label specializing in luxury goods for women (ready-to-wear, leather accessories), 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. The company initially made simple, dotted aprons that were crafted by Kriemler-Schoch on a single sewing machine. Each super luxe piece is still designed in Switzerland and honors Alice with hidden polka-dots in the lining.7 In 1944, Kriemler-Schoch's son Max Kriemler took over the business. The company grew significantly and began producing ready-to-wear

Ready-to-wear

Ready-to-wear or prêt-à-porter is the term for factory-made clothing, sold in finished condition, in standardized sizes, as distinct from made to measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame. Off-the-peg is sometimes used for items which are not clothing.Ready-to-wear has...

clothing., Following the lead of Max Kriemler, Akris also produced clothes for French designers Givenchy and Ted Lapidus.

However in 1980, Max Kriemler’s right-hand man died. Though Max’s son Albert had planned to travel to Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

to study fashion and apprentice at Givenchy

Givenchy

Givenchy is a French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy.The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter...

, Max asked Albert to postpone his education for two years to assist in the company’s transition. He agreed. Albert would never complete his fashion education; within those two years, he had already begun to take over the company. Peter Kriemler, Albert’s brother, joined Akris in 1987 after studies at St. Gallen University on law and economy to head its financial side. Peter is now Akris’s global president, handling management and manufacturing.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. Peter is now Akris’s global president, handling management and manufacturing.

Under Albert Kriemler’s creative direction, Akris became increasingly conscious of the quality of its design. Albert is "known for his creative flair and demand for uncompromising quality". The Swiss label, known for its quiet classicism, luxe fabrics, and stealth aesthetic, suddenly finds itself right on trend. [19]

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. [8]

Timeline

1922 Akris founded by Alice Kriemler Schoch.

1945 Max Kriemler joins the company. Step by step, Akris is built up into an international Pret a Porter brand, which opens the door to Paris and creates the foundations for worldwide development.

1980 Albert Kriemler joins the family business and takes over creative responsibilities.

1985 Development of the current Akris company logo.

1987 Peter Kriemler joins the company. Official takeover of management by both brothers in the third generation. Whilst Albert is wholly responsible for creation and the visual impact of the company, Peter takes care of manage ment and production. Marketing responsibilities are shared.

1988 Sales debut of Akris at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

1995 First global advertising campaign with US photographer Steven Klein, New York, and model Stella Tennant.

1996 Launch of the Designer Sportswear Collection Akris punto, based on a unique concept.

1996 Opening of the first Akris boutique in Paris and Boston.

Since the mid 1990's, continuous expansion of sales outlets in the U.S.A. with partners Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Holt Renfrew.

1999 Akris becomes a member of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode and thus joins the small circle of non French couturiers in this organization, such as Dries van Noten

Dries van Noten

Dries Van Noten is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand. In 2005, the New York Times described him "one of fashion's most cerebral designers"...

, Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake

is a Japanese fashion designer. He is known for his technology-driven clothing designs, exhibitions and fragrances.-Life and career:Miyake was born 22 April 1938 in Hiroshima, Japan. As a seven year-old, he witnessed and survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. He studied...

or Valentino

Valentino

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani , best known as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer and founder of the Valentino SpA brand and company. His main lines were Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, and R.E.D...

.

1999 Opening of the first Akris Boutique in Seoul, Korea.

2000 Opening of Namiki Dori, Ginza, the first Akris Boutique in Tokyo, Japan.

2001 Opening of the second boutique in Paris on Avenue Montaigne.

2002 Founding of the subsidiary Akris Japan Ltd. with Headquarter in Tokyo.

2003 Opening of a new boutique on Kohlmarkt in Vienna. Opening of a new boutique on Madison Avenue in New York.

2004 First official press defile in Paris. Opening of a new boutique on Neuer Wall in Hamburg.

2006 Collaboration with the Vienna State Opera Ballet for their renowned New Year Concert.

2008 Albert Kriemler

Albert Kriemler

-Biography:Albert Kriemler began at Akris in 1980.Kriemler has collaborated with ballet choreographer John Neumeier by designing the costumes for the ensemble of Neumeier’s 2005/06 production with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Hamburg ballet’s 2008 production of “The Legend of Joseph”...

is awarded ‘Grand Prix Design’ prize by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture in 2008 and honored with the “Swiss Design Award” for his achievements as the “most important international ambassador for fashion creation in design.”

2009 Akris acquires German handbag designer Comtesse.

2010 Albert Kriemler

Albert Kriemler

is named the star honoree for fashion design at the 2010 Fashion Group International Awards in New York.

2011 Opening of two new boutiques in Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

and Ginza

Ginza

is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...

, Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. First virtual trunk show held at Bergdorf Goodman. [9] [10]

Aesthetic

Akris is a fashion house synonymous with refinement, minimalism and impeccable Haute Couture craftsmanship, with ready-to-wear and accessory collections. Akris stands for wearable clothes, sharp feminine tailoring and a balance between the essentials – finest material, precise proportion, and effortless functionality.

Akris. The name stands for a new kind of luxury.[11] Unmistakably modern, feminine and discrete. Elegance, an uncomplicated silhouette and simple to combine - these are the charms of the Couture Designer Collection as well as the creative flair, the simple cut and the flattering materials.[11]

Clear shapes and simple lines are the fundamental basics of the Akris collection and creative flair is expressed unobtrusively in each and every piece.[11] Luxurious materials such as double-face, cashmere and silk, in their most lavish interpretations, deliver incomparable luxury and radiate the charm of reserved elegance and cultivated beauty. [11]

Design

With an architectural approach, Albert Kriemler’s process of creation begins with material. Designing with the experience of the woman in mind, Kriemler’s ability to understand the place where fashion and comfort co-exist is what has made Akris coveted by women around the globe. Achieving harmony between Haute Couture handicraft and the necessity for chic, understated clothes is the constant pursuit for Albert Kriemler. The Akris jacket in double-face cashmere or wool, for example, is a feat in Haute Couture workmanship and in its many reinterpretations always maintains timelessness - right for the mobility of everyday life.

Akris has taken fashion from the runway to the stage during several unique collaborations with the Hamburg Ballet and the Vienna State Opera Ballet, including their renowned New Year Concert.

Double-Face is a specialty of the Akris house and – as a material quality with two right sides – is the most interesting material for modern, luxurious fashion. Both material layers are connected by an invisible seam. To work this material, the seam is opened at the edge and is then hemmed by hand. This requires a special process and a great deal of craftsmanship, which has become another unique feature of the Akris identity.

Collections

In 1995, Akris introduced a new line called AKRIS Punto. The Akris Punto collection embodies the intrinsic elements of Akris with an emphasis on relaxed sportswear, reaching a broad range of women today.[8] In 2009, Akris expanded its Prêt-a-Porter offering with the introduction of handbags featuring Horsehair textile, a rare woven fabric made from the tail-hair.[8] Congruent in philosophy, the handbags possess Albert Kriemler’s understated design aesthetic in an uncompromised quality - another expression of his passion for material.[8] The Ai bag is the collection’s signature shape, a subtle trapezoid relating the A of Akris – a complement to the ethos of Akris dressing.[8]

Akris was admitted to the French Chambre Syndicale, the governing body of the French fashion industry, in 2000. The company delayed participating in Paris Fashion Week

Fashion Week

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...

until 2004, when it was able to secure a spot on one of the event’s most important days. In the 2000s, the company was one of the world's fastest-growing designer brands, becoming one of the top sellers at stores such as Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son Andrew Goodman....

and Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...

. Akris's success is largely due to trunk show

Trunk show

A "trunk show" is a special sale in which vendors present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue. In many cases it allows store personnel to preview and/or purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public. It is...

s and word of mouth; the company does very little advertising. The company's road to success has differed from that of other luxury brands: it does not produce fragrances and does not license its name.

Campaigns

Renowned photographer Steven Klein

Steven Klein

Steven Klein is an American photographer based in New York.-History:After studying painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, he moved into the field of photography...

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. Its value has been reported as approximately $500 million; the company has not disputed this figure, but the number may be an overestimate “judging from [Albert] Kriemler’s response when that number is tossed out. Akris clothing is sold in more than 500 locations worldwide.

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

Celebrities

Women tend to discover Akris for themselves. Nicole Kidman spotted a coat in a store window on a Sunday evening and ordered it the following morning. Other fans include Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...

, Diane Sawyer

Diane Sawyer

Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....

, Princess Charlène of Monaco

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

, Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...

, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...

among many others.[16]

Garment production

The company’s headquarters are located in St. Gallen, Switzerland, where 200 employees work on the creative, administrative, and marketing activities of the company. The design process begins with the fabric; Kriemler then sketches his designs. Akris fabrics are often custom-produced; sometimes, development of a fabric may take years. Most of the fabrics used in Akris clothing are produced in specialized mills in northern Italy.

Akris clothing is generally produced in ateliers in St. Gallen, Zurich, and Ticino, Switzerland. Kriemler has aimed to continue St. Gallen’s textile-based history by hiring local artisans. About half of the company’s 280 manufacturing employees are highly skilled artisans; 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.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.