#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2012-02-13

GERRY WEBER takes over fashion company Wissmach, Göppingen/Germany

Subject to approval by the Federal Cartel Office, GERRY WEBER International AG will take over the substantial assets of Wissmach Modefilialen GmbH, which has filed for insolvency, with effect from 15 March 2012.

Established in 1991, the ladieswear company employs some 1,000 people and operates roughly 200 stores throughout Germany. Göppingen-based fashion company Wissmach filed for provisional insolvency in October 2011. Insolvency proceedings were initiated on 31 December 2011. Since then Wissmach and has been under the administration of the insolvency administrator, Michael Plut, Ulm.

As part of an asset deal GERRY WEBER will take over the substantial company assets, including lease agreements, employment contracts of the branch staff as well as inventories. The roughly 200 Wissmach stores range between 70 and 120 square metres in size and are situated in attractive city centre locations and highly frequented shopping centres and malls. The two parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The purchase price will be financed from GERRY WEBER’s own funds.

“The takeover of the 200 Wissmach stores will allow us to accelerate the expansion of our own Retail segment even further”, said CEO Gerhard Weber. “Especially our TAIFUN and SAMOON brands should benefit from the takeover, as it will enable us to open our own mono-label stores."

The takeover of the Wissmach stores will expand GERRY WEBER’s portfolio of mono-label stores throughout Germany. Following approval by the Federal Cartel Office, the stores will gradually be converted into TAIFUN and SAMOON stores over the coming months, with GERRY WEBER investing a double-digit million amount. This step will strengthen the mono-label stores, which represent the second pillar of the Group’s Retail segment besides the Houses of GERRY WEBER.

GERRY WEBER International AG projects sales revenues of EUR 775 million and an EBIT margin of 14.8% for the current financial year 2011/12. The company intends to further expand its own Retail activities. In mid-January 2012, it had already announced the opening of 75 to 85 new company-managed Houses of GERRY WEBER for the financial year 2011/12.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.

Keeping products moving with Swedish automation at FILTECH 2026

At FILTECH 2026, taking place in Cologne from June 30th to July 2nd, members of TMAS – the Swedish textile machinery association – will highlight how the country’s engineering expertise is enabling filtration manufacturers to increase productivity, improve traceability and reduce dependence on labour-intensive manual processes.