Germany Clothing Industry
Apparel Search world clothing industry directory — apparel, fashion and textile resources for Germany.
Time to learn about the fashion industry in Germany. If you know of other clothing factories or fashion companies from Germany that are not listed on this page, please let us know — we would like to add them to this page.
Germany Fashion Industry — Explore & Resources
Fashion Industry Overview
Germany's clothing and textile industry is built on two strengths that sit side by side: a creative fashion scene centred on Berlin, and a deep engineering tradition in textile machinery, fibers and technical textiles. The listings on this page show the engineering side in unusual detail. Terrot has been developing and producing circular knitting machines in Germany for over 140 years, under the line "Intelligence in Knitting Since 1862". Around the machine builders sits a full supply chain: Merz makes machinery for producing knit fabric, SMC supplies the cylinders, dials and sinker rings inside knitting machines, CeramTec and Do-ceram supply ceramic thread guides, eyelets and friction disks, and Addi Nadeln produces fine knitting needles.
The fiber and materials side is equally established. Bayer's fibers business unit produces acrylic and spandex fibers for nonwovens and textile applications, plus monofilament for technical and agricultural purposes, while Trevira is a multi-national manufacturer active in polyester fibers, filaments and yarns for apparel, furnishing and industrial uses. The Faserinstitut Bremen, an independent testing and research institution, works on natural fiber production and processing and runs comprehensive testing programs for cotton and wool fiber. Design and production services complete the picture, from GRAFIS pattern construction, grading and layplanning software to Corpotex textile finishing, printing and embroidery in Hessen, and a trade fair and retail sector anchored by Berlin Fashion Week and the Igedo fairs in Dusseldorf.
Fashion Cities & Regions
Berlin is Germany's fashion capital in the creative sense: its fashion week is the country's best known fashion event, and the city is home to designers, ateliers, showrooms and fashion start-ups alongside its role as the national capital. The Berlin Fashion Week and Fashion Weeks in Germany pages linked above cover the event calendar on Apparel Search. Dusseldorf, on the Rhine, plays the complementary commercial role: it is the trade fair and ordering city in this directory, home to the Igedo Fashion Fairs, which bring national and international producers together with buyers as a communication and order platform for the industry.
The listings are spread across the country's regions, and their addresses map the industry's geography. Frankfurt is home to Activteam, the exhibition stand builder at Westhafenplatz 1, which designs and constructs stands Europe wide. In Hessen, Corpotex works from Gießen on textile finishing and branded merchandise. Hamburg, the northern port city, is the mail address of the Hosiery Store. Essen is home to Exportagentur Voellinger, the used machinery sourcing agent, and Hannover to Rezan Export. In the south, the Denim and Textile Agency Bernhard Ebers is situated in the southern part of the Black Forest, Saratex works from Backnang-Waldrems, and Sharma Le Bazaar from Hagen, while Tonsai Headwear sells from Koeln (Cologne) and Oceanline from Meinerzhagen. Bremen gives its name to the fiber institute. No single city holds the whole industry; machinery, fibers, finishing and retail each have their own centres.
Key Industry Sectors
Textile machinery is the standout sector in this directory. Beyond the new-machine builders Terrot and Merz, Germany supports a complete components trade: SMC has supplied high-tech knitting machine components worldwide for over 30 years, producing cylinders, dials and sinker rings in diameters from 7" to 60" and gauges from E3 to E46, and CeramTec's solid full ceramic friction disks are distinguished by diamond-like hardness, extremely high wear resistance and complete corrosion and erosion resistance. A second-hand machinery sector runs alongside the new equipment trade, with dealers buying and selling used knitting, weaving and finishing machines — covered in the Manufacturing & Sourcing section below.
Fibers, yarns and research form the second sector: Bayer's acrylic and spandex fibers and Trevira's polyester fibers, filaments and yarns serve apparel, furnishing and industrial uses, including the technical textiles Germany is known for, and the Faserinstitut Bremen provides independent testing for cotton and wool. The third sector is design and finishing services: Design Studio Gilch produces jacquard weaving designs and technical textile drawings, GRAFIS supplies pattern-making CAD software used in industry, trade and education, and Corpotex finishes, prints and embroiders branded textiles and merchandise, from T-shirts and polo shirts to work and promotion wear, working with brands such as ETERNA, Stanley & Stella, Hakro, BP and Nimbus Nordic. Apparel and accessories businesses round out the directory: hosiery retail, headwear, watersport clothing and leather goods importing.
Fashion Week & Trade Events
Berlin Fashion Week is Germany's headline fashion event, and the Germany fashion week pages on Apparel Search follow it and the country's other fashion weeks. The trade calendar centres on Dusseldorf: the Igedo Fashion Fairs Dusseldorf, described in the listings as one of the most important hubs for women's and men's wear, lingerie, beach wear and accessories, consist of four fashion fairs — CPD Dusseldorf for womenswear, HMD Dusseldorf for menswear, Body Look, the trade fair for body, beach and leg wear, and Global Fashion, a sourcing trade fair. The full Igedo profile is linked from its listing below, and the Trade Shows in Germany page linked above lists German trade shows by category.
Trade events need an infrastructure, and that is present here too. Activteam, listed below, designs and constructs exhibition stands Europe wide for companies whose booth has to reflect their corporate identity and act as an effective communication system with potential customers. TextilWirtschaft, also listed below, is the German fashion and textile trade publication that reports on this business. Together the fashion week, the order fairs and the trade press give Germany a complete events and media layer on top of its manufacturing base.
Manufacturing & Sourcing
Sourcing machinery is where this directory is most practical. A buyer equipping a knitting plant can start with new circular knitting machines from Terrot or knit fabric machinery from Merz, components from SMC, and ceramic thread guides and friction disks from CeramTec or Do-ceram. The used machinery market is just as well covered: Exportagentur Voellinger in Essen has worked since 1994 as a sourcing agent and exporter of used textile machinery of any kind, mainly weaving machines, finishing equipment and knitting machines; Khtex trades used knitwear machines branded Stoll, Shima and Universal; Kaltex deals in used flat and circular knitting machines from Stoll, Shima-Seiki, Universal, Terrot and Mayer&Cie; Schmietex Engineering exports and imports second hand textile machinery, specializing in knitting, warp knitting, weaving, finishing and stitchbonding Malimo, with service engineers for setting up and after sales; and Rezan Export in Hannover supplies used textile machines, including embroidery machines.
For materials and production services, the Denim and Textile Agency Bernhard Ebers represents fabric and garment suppliers worldwide, sells and buys fabric stocklots in A and B grades — denim, corduroy, T/c, 100% cotton, stretch-denim and stretch fabrics — and specializes in denim, elastic fabrics and technical fabrics for active sport. Corpotex offers order production, personalisation and finishing for branded textiles in small or large runs, with printing, embroidery and laser machines, plus logistics and webshop solutions. Quality control has its own address: the Faserinstitut Bremen runs comprehensive cotton and wool fiber testing programs for producers, manufacturers and merchants. Import and distribution businesses complete the sourcing picture, from Saratex dealing in T-shirts and Pashmina items to Sharma Le Bazaar importing a full leather goods collection since 1987.
Retail & Market Notes
Germany is one of Europe's large consumer markets, and its fashion retail runs from specialist online shops to the department stores and chains listed on the Clothing Retailers in Germany page linked above. The retail entries in this directory are specialists: the Hosiery Store in Hamburg sells exclusive stockings, tights and pantyhose online as a distributor for brands including ActivSkin, Gerbe, Kunert, Levee, Elbeo, Riese, NurDie, Oroblu, Cette and Ergee; Tonsai Headwear in Koeln sells flexfit, gatsby, army and trucker caps online and offers embroidery and printing services; and Oceanline in Meinerzhagen supplies swimsuits, bikinis, wetsuits and diving equipment for diving, surfing, triathlon, jetski and waterski. The Igedo listing ties retail back to the trade: its fairs exist because German textile retail draws national and international producers to Dusseldorf to meet customers at the same time and place. For importing and exporting, the Germany Customs Office page linked above covers the customs side of moving clothing into and out of Germany.
Germany Fashion Industry Companies
Listings are given with the descriptions supplied for each business.
Activteam Stand Construction
(Germany): Activteam offers a different style and innovative approach in their exhibition design concepts and solutions. They are designing and constructing Europe wide for companies who are looking for a beautifully design that reflects their corporate identity. The more powerful the communication, the more potent the exhibition result. Hence they design and construct exhibits that act as ultra effective communication systems; to start to build that special relationship between exhibitors and potential customers. At Activteam, they start by looking at all your communications to create a unique booth design. Your exhibition stand is part of a bigger picture, and they have to make sure it fits.
Address: Westhafenplatz 1 D-60327 Frankfurt Germany Tel. +49 69 257380294 Fax. +49 69 257378649 E-mail: activteam@activteam.com
- Trade Show Booth Design (Fashion trade shows etc.)
Addi Nadeln
(Germany): producer of fine knitting needles.
Bayer
Germany. Multi-national chemicals and health care corporation. The fibers Business Unit produces acrylic and spandex fibers used in nonwovens and textile applications, as well as monofilament for technical and agricultural purposes.
CeramTec
(Germany) In addition to a large number of different thread guide elements for the textile machines made by all well-known manufacturers, it is their solid full ceramic friction disks that have made CeramTec one of the leading producers in this field. The CeraSoft friction disks are distinguished by the special properties of the highly pure, non-porous aluminum oxide ceramics: diamond-like hardness, extremely high wear resistance, complete corrosion and erosion resistance combined with bending, compression and tensile strength. And no-one has more experience than CeramTec in the realization of exactly defined disk surfaces which not only guarantee minimum snow formation during the texturing of filament yarns, but also result in process safety and uniform thread quality.
- Thread Guides (machinery spare parts)
- Ceramic Friction Disks (machinery spare parts)
Corpotex GmbH
(Germany): As a premium supplier for textile finishing and textile production, we are happy to support you from design and product development to order production, personalisation of branded textiles and merchandise items, as well as logistics and webshop solutions. Whether small or large runs, simple design or unusual custom-made products with elaborate finishing. We are happy to use our most modern printing, embroidery and laser machines for you while maintaining high quality. Embroidered or printed T-shirts, polo shirts, shirts and blouses, work and promotion wear and merchandising are our daily business. Brands such as ETERNA, Stanley & Stella, Hakro, BP, Nimbus Nordic strengthen your external presentation, sustainably.
Address: Leihgesterner Weg 37, 35392 Gießen, Hessen, Germany Phone: 0641 97900290 E-mail: verkauf@corpotex.de Contact name: Sabrina Schneider
- Printing
- Embroidery
Denim and Textile Agency Bernhard Ebers
Denim and Textile Agency Bernhard Ebers is situated at the southern part of the Black Forest in Germany. They are offering their professional and reliable textile service by representing the textile industry with a wide range of fabrics and garment suppliers throughout the whole world. Their specialties are denim, elastic fabrics, fabric stocklots and technical fabrics for active sport. Furthermore they are selling and buying fabric stocklots in A-and B Grade such as denim, corduroy, T/c, 100% cotton fabrics, stretch-denim, stretch-fabrics, stretch-corduroy etc at very competitive prices.
Address: Haldenweg 4 Weilheim 79809 Germany Phone: +497741672003 Fax: +497741672683 Email: be@textilagentur-ebers.de Contact: Bernhard Ebers Owner
Design Studio Gilch
Jacquard weaving designs on cards and floppy discs. Also, technical textile drawings and weaving development.
Do-ceram Ceramics
(Germany / China) Ceramic: Eyelets, Thread Guides for Textile Machinery
- Textile Machinery Spare Parts
Faserinstitut Bremen eV
(Germany): Independent testing and research institution, active in natural fibers production and processing technologies and methods. Comprehensive testing programs for cotton and wool fiber for producers, manufacturers and merchants.
Exportagentur Voellinger Essen
Since 1994 they are working as sourcing agents and exporters of used textile machinery of any kind. They mainly deal in weaving machines as well as in finishing equipment and lastly in knitting machines.
Address: Klosterstr. 30 Essen 45127 Germany Phone: 49 201 202837 Fax: 49 201 207243 Email: BV-Export@telda.net Contact: Mrs. Birgit Voellinger, owner
GRAFIS
(Germany) is a software for pattern construction, grading and layplanning running on standard Personal Computers under Windows95 and above. It contains an extensive range of functions for pattern cutting and modification and is available at a very competitive price. Therefore, GRAFIS is in use in industry as well as in trade and education.
- Pattern Making Software
- CAD Software
The Hosiery Store
(Germany) Pantyhose & Stockings Hosiery - online ordering of exclusive stockings, tights and pantyhose. Distributors for high-quality products from ActivSkin, Gerbe, Kunert, Levee, Elbeo, Riese, NurDie, Oroblu, Cette und Ergee. Ernst Mende
By Mail: Pantyhose Stockings Hosiery Wichmannstr. 4, Haus 10 S d 2. Stock, 22607 Hamburg Germany By E-Mail: contact@pantyhose-stockings-hosiery.com Fax: 0049 (0)40 80 81 82 73 Phone: 0049 (0)40 80 81 82 74
Igedo Fashion Fairs Dusseldorf
(Germany): As one of the most important hub for women's and men's wear, lingerie, beach wear and accessories, the Igedo Fashion Fairs are positively effected by the optimistic developments in the German textile retail industry. The country is experiencing an upswing, the economy is continuing to pick up and consumers are willing to spend. For both national and international producers, Germany is now again of great interest and fashion trade fairs like the Igedo Fashion Fairs Dusseldorf bring suppliers and customers together at the same time and place, creating a perfect communication and order platform for the fashion industry. The Igedo Fashion Fairs Dusseldorf -- consisting of the four fashion fairs CPD Dusseldorf, HMD Dusseldorf, Body Look and Global Fashion.
- CPD Dusseldorf - womenswear
- HMD Dusseldorf - menswear
- Body Look - trade fair for body, beach and leg wear
- Global Fashion - sourcing trade fair
- View the Igedo Trade Fair Profile on Apparel Search.
Khtex
(Germany): they are trader who sells and buys used knitwear machines branded Stoll, Shima, Universal and other important brands of different types.
Kaltex
(Germany): They are dealing with used flat and circular knitting machines. The main brands are Stoll, Shima-Seiki, Universal, Terrot, Mayer&Cie etc. Do not hesitate to contact them if you are looking for or you are selling above machinery. E-mail: kaltex@t-online.de
Merz
(Germany): machinery for producing knit fabric.
Oceanline Watersportsequipment
Your partner for swimsuits, bikinis, wetsuits and divingequipment. Big range of wetsuits for diving, surfing, triathlon, jetski, waterski and other watersports. Full range of neoprene swim suits
Address: Zur Alten Post 4 b Meinerzhagen 58540 Germany Phone: 49 2354 5028 Fax: 49 2354 3258 Email: oceanline@oceanline.de Contact: Mr. Uwe Hausmann Gender: Men's and Women's
- Wholesale Item # 1: swimwear
- Wholesale Item # 2: neoprene
- Wholesale Item # 3: wetsuits
- Wholesale Item # 4: divingequipment
- Wholesale Item # 5: bikinis
- Wholesale Item # 6: swimsuits
- Wholesale Item # 7: bags
Rezan Export
They supply all kinds of used textile machines. They have all kinds of embroidery machines for sale; Zangs, Saurer, Lasser, Commerio, Metalmacanica, 15 yard and 21 yard.
Address: Sonen Allee 4a Hannover, Germany Phone: 49-511-7243590 or 49-171-5337157 Fax: 49-511-7243595 Email: Ahmad@t-online.de Contact: Ahmad A
Saratex GmbH
They are one of the biggest dealers in Ladies and men T-shirts and also Pashmina items including Shawls, Baby blankets and Cushion covers. They believe in quality because they are quality people
Address: Donaustzrasse 1 Backanang-Waldrems D-71522 Germany Phone: 0049-7191-903701 Fax: 07191-903703 Email: saratexgmbh@hotmail.com Contact: M.Raimund Gender: Men's and Women's
- Wholesale Item # 1: T-shirts
- Wholesale Item # 2: Scarves and stoles
- Wholesale Item # 3: Pashmina shawls
- Wholesale Item # 4: Baby Blankets
- Wholesale Item # 5: Baby clothings
Schmietex Engineering
(Used Machinery): they are a German company which is working in the field of export & import of second hand textile machinery. Schmietex Engineering is offering any kind of textile machinery and is specialized in fields of knitting, warp knitting, weaving, finishing and stitchbonding Malimo. In the range of stitchbonding Malimo they are offering complete service engineers for setting up and after sales services. Their qualified technicians provides disposal for changing fineness, rebuilding Malimo into Maliwatt, from Maliwatt into Malivlies, technical overhauls and other special client wishes.
Sharma Le Bazaar GmbH
They are importers for leather goods (full collection) since 1987. They are well known company in Germany and other European countries. They have more than 3.000 customers. Contact them by phone, fax, mail or in Offenbach fair in Germany.
Address: Friedensstrasse 127 Hagen 58095 Germany Phone: 49 2331 82062 or 49 2331 14526 Fax: 49 2331 82063 Email: sharmalebazaar@t-online.de Contact: Trilok Sharma (President)
- Wholesale Item # 1: wallets
- Wholesale Item # 2: handbags
- Wholesale Item # 3: gent's bags
- Wholesale Item # 4: lady's bags
- Wholesale Item # 5: briefcases/portfolio
- Wholesale Item # 6: business bags
- Wholesale Item # 7: rucksack
SMC
(Germany) [Textile Machinery Spare Parts] SMC has been supplying high-tech knitting machine components to satisfied customers around the world for over 30 years. SMC produces cylinders, dials and sinker rings to meet the specific requirements of individual customers. For machines of almost every system, make or type. In diameters ranging from 7" to 60". In gauges of E3 to E46.
- Cylinders
- Dials
- Sinker Rings
Terrot
They have been successfully developing and producing high-performance circular knitting machines in Germany for their international customer base for over 140 years. Terrot - INTELLIGENCE IN KNITTING SINCE 1862. Perfect circular knitting technology combined with the "finest Terrot knitted fabrics" is the culmination of matured machine engineering designed to sharpen the competitive edge of our international customer base. The name Terrot stands for quality and top performance in the construction of electronically and mechanically controlled circular knitting machines around the world. Maximum efficiency and an outstanding cost-to-performance ratio, combined with truly universal application and operating convenience: These are the objectives at the forefront of their machine design and development work.
- Circular Knitting Machinery Manufacturer
TextilWirtschaft
German fashion and textile industry trade publication.
Tonsai Headwear
Online ordering of high quality fashion headwear like flexfit caps, gatsby caps, army caps, Trucker Caps. Offers Embroidery and Printing services.
Address: Tonsai Headwear, c/o Detlefsen Modehandel, Im Sionstal 8, 50678 Koeln, Germany, Tel 0221 20049889, Fax 0221 97750666 Email: info@tonsai.de
- Headwear Retailer
Trevira GmbH
Germany. Multi-national Manufacturing company, active in polyester fibers, filaments and yarns, for apparel, furnishing and industrial uses. Searchable database of materials, services and manufacturers. Extensive product information and specifications. Part of the Trevira Group. English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.
If you would like to read this website in German, you are welcome to visit the Apparel Search language translation page.
Common Questions
What is Germany best known for in the textile industry?
Germany is best known in textiles for engineering: knitting machinery, machine components, fibers and technical textiles. This directory shows that strength directly - Terrot has been developing and producing high-performance circular knitting machines in Germany for over 140 years, Merz makes machinery for producing knit fabric, SMC supplies cylinders, dials and sinker rings for knitting machines, CeramTec and Do-ceram make ceramic thread guides and friction disks, and Bayer and Trevira cover acrylic, spandex and polyester fibers, filaments and yarns.
What fashion trade events are held in Germany?
The best known fashion event is Berlin Fashion Week, covered on Apparel Search in the Germany fashion week pages linked above. The trade fair centre in this directory is Dusseldorf, where the Igedo Fashion Fairs consist of four fairs: CPD Dusseldorf for womenswear, HMD Dusseldorf for menswear, Body Look, the trade fair for body, beach and leg wear, and Global Fashion, a sourcing trade fair.
What kinds of German companies are listed in this directory?
The directory lists 26 entries covering the working breadth of the industry: knitting machine makers and component suppliers, dealers in used textile machinery, fiber producers, a fiber research and testing institute in Bremen, pattern-making software, jacquard weaving design, textile finishing and printing, hosiery and headwear retail, watersport clothing, leather goods importing, a trade fair organizer, an exhibition stand builder and a fashion trade publication.