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AkrisSwiss, founded 1922

The Akris company, based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, was founded in 1922 by Albert Kriemler’s grandmother, Alice Kriemler-Schoch. Aprons were the original product of her small business, whose name is an amalgam of familial names. The label expanded greatly as it passed through the generations, and Albert Kriemler assumed design control of the fashion line in 1980. By 1989, the classic and elegant tailoring of the Swiss brand was available at the department store Bergdorf Goodman, and the company has grown steadily ever since.

Beautiful fabrics and quality workmanship are crucial to Akris. When discussing the creation of his streamlined and understated designs, Kriemler cites fabric as the most important element. For the catalogue that accompanied Akris—Fashion from St. Gallen, a 2006 exhibition at Germany’s Textilmuseum, he wrote that “fabric is the medium of discreet but perceptible luxury.” Kriemler’s chosen fabrics (he is especially fond of supple double-faced wools and cashmere) are always of high caliber, and are often sourced from Italian mills.

Although the aesthetic of the brand is very modern, Kriemler’s commitment to the small details is a subtle nod to the past. The use of hand-finishing, for example, or employing menswear tailors to cut a jacket, demonstrates the company’s unique heritage of craftsmanship. As Kriemler said to Women’s Wear Daily in 1989, “The most important thing is to have your own handwriting and stick to it. Ours is quality, and without that, creativity doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”

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Yellow suit with cropped double-breasted long sleeve jacket with gold buttons and matching pant…
Suit
Akris
Fall 2010
2010.79.1
Suit; deep yellow double faced cashmere wool military style double breasted cropped jacket and matching high waisted flared leg pants, coordinating purple suede narrow belt with buckle
Floor length wool dress with turtleneck and long sleeves with photo print of trees and building…
Set
Akris
Fall/Winter 2011
2011.38.1
Wedding Tower floor-length sheath dress with turtleneck and long sleeves in wool mousselline, photo print of leafless tree in dark brown to black over grey blue dusk-like sky and Wedding Tower building by architect and Vienna Secession founder Joseph Maria Olbrich; coordinating pewter metal mesh belt with large oblong metal buckle
Short sleeve knee length dress with large scale photo print of a clock tower and trees in shade…
Dress
Akris
Fall 2011
2012.62.1
Wedding Tower dress in lightweight wool; round neckline; dropped shoulder with cap sleeves; semi-fitted, front side waist bust dart, back waist dart; CB invisible zipper closure; knee length; photo print of Architect and Vienna Secession founder Joseph Maria Olbrich's Wedding Tower in smoky grey / blue at upper dress, shades of brown, yellow and blue at tower and tree / cityscape scene
Sleeveless below the knee dress with red and brown scale-shaped cutouts in snake skin pattern
Dress
Akris
Fall 2016
2017.12.1
Black wool and nylon crepe dress with red and brown various size laser cut lamb leather scales applied to dress front, side slit and lined in black silk
Green and white pleated colorblock caftan dress
Set
Akris
Spring 2017
2019.22.1
Set; White and green color block caftan style dress in polyester with sunburst pleating; dark beige stretch knit slip with spaghetti straps in viscose blend