The company started out with industrial worker suits, uniforms and raincoats. Boss died in 1948 and grandsons Uwe and Jochen Holy took over and geared it towards the more promising path of menswear. The company released its very first suit design for men in 1953.



Competition was stiff in the German market in the 1960s so the brothers decided to create men's suits in colorful hues made from durable, quality fabrics by Gaenslen & Voelter. Over the decade, Hugo Boss bested other companies by introducing trendier suits made of light Italian fabric, in contrast to the traditional German suits that were made of rigid and heavy ones.

Boss pioneered product export during the 70s, conquering Western Europe first, then the Atlantic and finally, the United Sates in 1976. The high-priced line instantly gained acceptance in America, as popularized by renowned figures such as Sylvester Stallone, Bjorn Borg and the Miami vice cops. By the 80's, the company had already passed the DM 100 million sales mark.

The company made another remarkable turn in 1984 when it launched its first fragrance along with affordable casual wear like sweaters and sports jackets. A year later, the company went public and renamed itself Hugo Boss AG (Aktiengesellschaft, which is German for a corporation that is owned by shareholders). By 1987, the company was grossing $500 million per annum.

A big portion of the company was sold to the Japanese Leyton Group in 1989, although the Holy brothers remained active in the management process. Three years later, they resigned whilst retaining designer stores in Munich and Stuttgart under the Hugo Boss Company. Marzotto became a major shareholder in 1991 and hired Peter Littmann as the new CEO. In response to the economic recession, two more labels were added namely Hugo - for the young and hip professional, and Baldessarini - for the classy top executive. Within a year, profits increased up to 74% and the company further expanded to the Southeast Asian region. In 1997, the company promised to reimburse to slave laborers post World War I.

Littmann was succeeded by chief designer and marketing manager Werner Baldessarini in 1998. This was also the time that the company started to design and launch lifestyle accessories and its very first collection of women's wear. Over the years, the company introduced more labels, including the more casual Boss Golf and Boss Sport lines, and Boss Black Selection. In 1999, another line - the sporty Boss Orange - was successfully launched.

At present Hugo Boss remains a subsidiary of Marzotto S.p.A., under the Valentino Fashion Group, which owns a 50% share in the firm. It remains to be one of the world's top fashion lines, with Germany being its leading consumer and the United States as the second. It holds more than 350 franchise shops in over 90 countries around the world.