Mustang Holding

Mustang Holding GmbH is a German holding company whose subsidiaries market the Mustang jeans and lifestyle brand as a proprietary label. The group operates from its headquarters in the Hessental district of Schwäbisch Hall and maintains nine locations across Europe, Russia and China. Its roots go back to 1932, when Luise Hermann founded the L. Hermann Kleiderfabrik in Künzelsau as a clothing factory producing workwear. After the Second World War, the family business pivoted to denim: in 1948 Albert Sefranek traded six bottles of schnapps with US soldiers for six jeans, which became the pattern for the company's first jeans and made it Europe's first jeans supplier. The Mustang brand itself was introduced and protected in 1958, inspired by the American Way of Life, with a stylized horse as its logo. Mustang went on to launch the world's first stretch jeans in 1961, entered nationwide German retail in the mid-1960s, and expanded internationally from 1981. The company also ran licensing businesses, including JOOP! jeans from 1989 to 2003 and the W&LT streetwear label in the 1990s, and pursued scene marketing with music broadcaster VIVA. After the jeans market crisis of the late 1990s, Mustang restructured, closed its own production plants and completed a verticalization of the business. Today the brand offers denim, T-shirts, jackets, sneakers and accessories for women and men through its online shop and retail partners.

The company was founded on 2 May 1932 by Luise Hermann as L. Hermann Kleiderfabrik in Künzelsau, a response to the stagnating timber business of her husband Heinrich Hermann. Besides the owner, six seamstresses were employed. The company made workwear and supplied drill suits to the Wehrmacht and the Reich Labour Service. In 1945 the founder's son Rolf Hermann (1926–2008) and her son-in-law Albert Sefranek (1920–2014) joined the family business. In 1948 Sefranek traded six bottles of schnapps with US soldiers in a Frankfurt bar for six jeans. These jeans became the pattern for the company's first jeans, and still in 1948 a first order for 300 blue so-called 'Amihosen' was accepted, making the company Europe's first jeans supplier. A year later series production began, initially from twill for workwear, later from genuine imported US denim. The early years were difficult: jeans were initially considered vulgar in post-war Germany because of their tight cut, and were associated first with the Allies and later with the left-wing spectrum. In 1953 Mustang made its first jeans for women, offered as a Girl's Campinghose, and in 1955 a corduroy jeans supplemented the range. The Mustang-Jeans brand was introduced and protected by Sefranek in 1958, inspired by the then-popularizing American Way of Life, with stylized horse logos echoing the mustang. Previously the jeans had been marketed as 'Cowboyhose'. A high-priced Mustang jeans cost around 20 marks at the time (about 58 euros in today's purchasing power). In 1961 the company brought the world's first stretch jeans to market under the Mustang brand. In the mid-1960s Kaufhof ordered the first models, marking Mustang's entry into nationwide retail. In the mid-1960s Mustang came close to taking over the sole distribution of Levi's jeans in Germany until the Americans backed out and later founded their own subsidiary. In 1971 all production of workwear was switched to jeans fashion. In 1972 Mustang designed the leisure clothing of the West German team for the Summer Olympics in Munich. In 1973 L. Hermann KG was renamed Mustang Bekleidungswerke GmbH + Co. In the late 1970s the jeans collection was expanded with jackets and tops. From 1981 the company expanded with subsidiaries abroad, including France and Portugal. In 1989 Mustang received the license for JOOP! jeans, which ran until 2003 with the sale of the JOOP! brand. From 1993 to 1999 there was a license agreement with Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck for the production and distribution of his extravagant streetwear brand W&LT – Wild And Lethal Trash, for which own shops were also operated worldwide. W&LT was then continued by Mustang on its own and discontinued in spring 2003 to focus on the core brand. In the mid-1990s Mustang launched the JAM – Jeans and Music project together with music broadcaster VIVA as part of a scene marketing concept, comprising a weekly TV show, a magazine, the Mustang Roadshow with live concerts, the CD sampler Jamtrax and sponsorship of major events such as Rock am Ring, giving the Mustang brand a notable image gain. There were also a sponsorship contract with the rock band Scorpions and activities at the Cologne music fair Popkomm. Since 1999, shoes (from late 2005), belts, bags (from 2002), underwear (from 2005), hosiery, fragrances (from 2006) and watches (from late 2005) have also been offered under the Mustang brand under license from external companies. Since 2000 Mustang has also cooperated with Willy Bogner and produced products such as the 6-pocket jeans or a skier jeans for the Bogner Jeans license brand launched in 2001. In 2005 a license agreement was signed with Wolfgang Joop's brand Wunderkind, launched in 1999, for the manufacture of jeans, but this was abandoned again in 2006. For the production of jeans in 1997, 29,900 meters of denim were needed daily for 23,000 jeans. In 24 countries, 2,000 employees worked in the company and its subsidiaries. The Hermann family withdrew from the company in 1990 and handed its shares to Albert Sefranek. On his 75th birthday in 1995 Sefranek left the management and handed the business to his son Heiner Sefranek (born 1948), who had been employed in the company since 1974. In the late 1990s the jeans market was in crisis, demand declined and price wars among manufacturers increased. Mustang closed the production site at its Künzelsau headquarters, where 15% of total volume was still produced, and cut staff. Extensive restructuring measures continued until the early 2000s. The production site in Portugal was closed in 2002. The late 2000s were also difficult times for Mustang, after a turnaround had been achieved in 2004. At the end of 2005 the decision was made to give up in-house production and thus the plants in Poland and Russia. In 2007 the company closed its last own plant in Marcali, Hungary. The verticalization of the company was completed.

• 2007

  Last own plant in Marcali, Hungary closed; verticalization completed.

• 2005

  Decision to give up in-house production and plants in Poland and Russia.

• 2003

  W&LT discontinued; JOOP! license ends.

• 2002

  Production site in Portugal closed.

• 2000

  Cooperation with Willy Bogner for Bogner Jeans.

• 1999

  Licensing of shoes, belts, bags, underwear, hosiery, fragrances and watches begins.

• 1997

  Daily production requires 29,900 meters of denim for 23,000 jeans; 2,000 employees in 24 countries.

• 1995

  Albert Sefranek leaves management; Heiner Sefranek takes over.

• 1993

  License agreement with Walter Van Beirendonck for W&LT (until 1999).

• 1990

  Hermann family withdraws, shares transferred to Albert Sefranek.

• 1989

  Receives license for JOOP! jeans (until 2003).

• 1981

  International expansion with subsidiaries in France and Portugal.

• 1973

  Renamed Mustang Bekleidungswerke GmbH + Co.

• 1972

  Designs leisure clothing for the West German team at the Munich Summer Olympics.

• 1971

  All workwear production switched to jeans fashion.

• 1961

  World's first stretch jeans launched under the Mustang brand.

• 1960

  Mid-1960s: Kaufhof orders first models, entry into nationwide retail.

• 1958

  Mustang-Jeans brand introduced and protected by Albert Sefranek.

• 1955

  Corduroy jeans added to the range.

• 1953

  First women's jeans produced, offered as Girl's Campinghose.

• 1949

  Series production of jeans begins.

• 1948

  First jeans order for 300 blue 'Amihosen'; company becomes Europe's first jeans supplier.

• 1945

  Rolf Hermann and Albert Sefranek join the family business.

• 1932

  Founded on 2 May by Luise Hermann as L. Hermann Kleiderfabrik in Künzelsau.

Denim expertise and perfect fits for women and men, offering trend-conscious casual fashion at accessible prices.

• Mustang Jeans

  Core denim line for women and men, including Skinny, Flared, Bootcut and Tapered fits.

• Stretch jeans

  World's first stretch jeans, launched in 1961.

• Denim jackets

  Jackets added to the collection in the late 1970s.

• T-shirts

  Casual tops for women and men.

• Sneakers

  Casual footwear offered under the Mustang brand.

• Accessories

  Belts, bags, underwear, hosiery, fragrances and watches licensed under the Mustang brand.

• JAM – Jeans and Music
• Scorpions sponsorship
• Rock am Ring sponsorship

1. 1Bekleidung & Schuhe kaufen | Mustangmustang.de
2. 2Mustang Holding – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Mustang Holding – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org