An evening of celebration and fashion was held on February 1 in Düsseldorf, Germany, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of German leather manufacturers Christ. Guests were invited from all over the world to join the celebrations and the evening was a complete success. Walter and Berthold Christ, the founder’s two sons, greeted representatives from the leather clothing and fashion industry. Customers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries were also invited, as were guests from south America and the Far East.
Leather specialist and industry expert, Sonja Langer-Korsch, honoured Christ’s 50 years’ existence. In reviewing the company’s business and fashion development, she paid special regard to the achievements of Werner Christ, whom she characterised as a self-made man with entrepreneurial instinct.
The evening’s fashion show presented the Christ autumn/winter 2004/5 collection. Various leather and lambskin designs were seen on the catwalk, from sporty to classical, each offering a strong appeal and timelessness. Then, where models had earlier promenaded, guests from four continents danced the night away on the catwalk.
‘We never imagined such a positive response’, said Walter Christ. ‘We are proud that this event and the presentation of the new collection could set such an important milestone for the future success of the Christ trademark throughout the world.’
The Christ family began their venture on January 1, 1954, when Werner Christ, then 24-years old, founded a firm producing rainwear and motorcycle gear. This later became a clothing company and extended into the production of garments from cow hides and nappa. In the 1960s, the company went from strength to strength and, in 1969, participated for the first time at the Frankfurt fur fair, then at Modewoche in Munich and Igedo in Düsseldorf. In the meantime, the company had added more leading stores in Germany, Austria, Benelux and Switzerland to their list of clients.
During the following decade, the company increased both in size and importance. New work techniques were employed, such as nappa finishes, that made the leathers pleasingly tactile, and it was these innovations that gave the company an important identity within the industry.
The 1980s saw the opening of the company’s flagship store in Koblenz, the creation of a clothes factory and tannery in Uruguay and collaboration with some north American and Japanese firms with regards to distribution. The hand-over of the company to the second generation signified the beginning of a new level of quality and a new period of international trade, beginning with new distribution agreements with south American, Russian and Mexican companies.
Today, Christ are a company rich in tradition and specialise in the production of high-quality leather and lambskin fashion for women and men. Christ represent a fashion that is greatly influenced by timelessness and classical elegance. The company pride themselves on the lightness of the materials they produce, their top-quality workmanship and their highest environmental standards.
Now, 50 years on, Christ supply approximately 1,000 retailers in Germany, the Benelux countries, France, Austria and Switzerland, as well as an expanding customer base in Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Russia, Japan, China and Australia.
