New Life for Forgotten Jewish Brand Manheimer

BERLIN — Berlin business group Jandorf Holding seeks to revive the historic fashion industry, starting with the relaunch of industrial-era brand Valentin Manheimer with designer Michael Sontag.
When industrialization hit garment-making in the 19th century, Berlin became one the continent’s epicenters for serial textile production, employing more than 150,000 people in 800 companies located around Gendarmenmarkt — until the Nazis put an end to the mostly Jewish-held industry when they took power in the Thirties.
Now, revival brand Manheimer is tapping into the historic fabric of the namesake Jewish textile entrepreneur Valentin Manheimer.
Founded in 1836, Manheimer was one of the first to use the technological innovations of the time to offer ready-made women’s coats, and grew to become one of the largest textile companies on the continent, selling throughout Europe and to the United States in its heyday. Valentin Manheimer’s heirs took over a flourishing global business, but failed to navigate it through the Great Depression.
Re-launching as a luxury formal men’s wear brand, the new Manheimer also relies on the latest technology. The collections will be distributed through direct online marketing and selected online retailers, with a made-to-measure option enabled by a new data processing system. Spearheaded by creative director Sontag, who

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