Hartmarx Corporation - Fashion Company Profile
Hartmarx was the Chicago tailored-clothing corporation behind Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman - a company with a 100-year tradition in tailored clothing whose successor brands, sold to Authentic Brands Group in 2012 after the HMX Group bankruptcy, still trade today. The corporation itself no longer operates independently.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- No longer independent - HMX Group filed Chapter 11 in January 2009 and in October 2012 sold virtually all of its assets, including Hart Schaffner Marx and Hickey Freeman, to Authentic Brands Group; those tailored-clothing brands continue under Authentic Brands Group
- Type
- Was a public company (traded as HMX)
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Founded
- 1887, in Chicago, as Hart Schaffner & Marx; renamed Hartmarx in 1983
Company Profile
This page is therefore a historical profile, with no shop box: the full record - the 1887 naming, the industry firsts from standard pricing to the 1936 zippered trouser, war production, the 1983 renaming and the 2007 photograph and news trail - is kept in full on the history page.
The origin story is Chicago's. Early success was largely fuelled by Chicago's urgent need for clothing, and the reputation for quality grew from there. In 1879 Marcus Marx joined the partnership, but it was the 1887 arrival of Joseph Schaffner that gave the company the name that would follow it for more than 100 years: Hart Schaffner & Marx. Schaffner's arrival, historical descriptions say, ushered in an era of creativity and industry firsts - standard pricing, selling from swatches instead of cumbersome trunks, the first national men's apparel magazine advertisement, and, in 1936, the first zippered pants. Each first is about how clothing was sold as much as how it was made.
Hartmarx History
The earlier record for this company - its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
Hartmarx History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
What is Hartmarx's status in its profile?
The historical record states that Hartmarx (HMX) was sold to Authentic Brands Group and keeps the company history below that notice for historical reference.
When did the name Hart Schaffner & Marx arrive?
With Joseph Schaffner's arrival in 1887; Marcus Marx had joined the partnership in 1879, in the historical record.
When did Hart Schaffner & Marx become Hartmarx?
In 1983, to reflect the company's diverse holdings, with Hart Schaffner & Marx remaining a flagship label, in the historical record.
More Apparel Companies H
Start from the H letter hub, or compare this filing with its closest neighbours in the letter:
More to Explore on Apparel Search
References & Further Reading
Looking for More Fashion Companies?
This profile is one filing in the Apparel Search company names directory. Browse the full A-to-Z listing on the Fashion Company Names directory, or shop by category in the Apparel Search shopping directory.