About Brax

We make people feel good

Our vision

Shaping the future of Brax

Our fashion tells a story of passion. Passion for inspiring customers with our products. This passion accompanies us in every project and all decisions we make in our daily work.

Our Brand values

SMART stylish passionate

Our fashion tells a story of passion. Passion for inspiring customers with our products. With a great deal of commitment, creativity, and drive, we have worked together to develop Brax into a successful casual fashion brand — far beyond our core product, pants.

The satisfaction of the people who wear our clothing is our top priority. Trust in our company, a high level of identification with our products, recommendations, and long-term relationships form the basis for our business success.

We see trust and respect as the cornerstones of our working environment. Clear, open, and binding communication, combined with the promotion of potential and personal responsibility, is a top priority for Brax.

Facts about Brax

Discover the variety of Brax

As a renowned company, we inspire fashion lovers around the world. Immerse yourself in the world of Brax, where fashion becomes a passion

and a form of self-expression, free from prejudice. This is where innovation meets tradition.

more than

Countries

more than

Brax stores worldwide

more than

1560

Areas

Whether in our own retail stores and factory outlets, in our shop-in-shop areas at the point of sale, or in the Brax online shop, you can find us everywhere. However, until our products are available to you, all handling is carried out by our headquarters in Herford. From here, design, procurement, and distribution are managed and implemented in cooperation with our partners around the world.

1200

Employees

Diversity and equal opportunities are central themes of our corporate culture. To this end, we are committed to treating each other with appreciation and respect at all levels.

361 Mio.

Euro revenue

34%

Export share

In 2023, we produced 7.5 million items. Our brand has a strong profile and a firm place in the market. We generated 34% of our sales outside Germany.

Our Brand essence

Inspire customers with a passion for our products!

Our history

MORE THAN 135 YEARS OF SUCCESS

1888 – 1932

1888

Master tailor Bernward Leineweber and his wife Mary are right on trend when they open a specialty store for men's clothing in Berlin in 1888, as “off-the-rack” clothing becomes increasingly popular among men.

The business is developing well. The goal is to continuously improve the fit so that ready-to-wear clothing can be offered to everyone. Soon, every child in Berlin will know the name Leineweber.

With the start of mass production of bicycles, Bernward Leineweber sees sportswear as a market with a promising future and begins manufacturing ski pants, ice skating skirts, and outfits for driving. The company survives World War I by producing military clothing and offering alteration services.

1932

The global economic crisis brings the company to its knees: in 1932, Bernward Leineweber GmbH suspends all payments.

1932 - 1948

In August 1932, Herbert Tengelmann, owner of Vereinigte Kleiderwerke AG in Herford, takes over Bernward Leineweber GmbH. While concentrating his own manufacturing operations in Herford, the young entrepreneur focuses on Berlin as a trading location.

1935

From the mid-1930s onwards, the “house that attracts everyone” experienced a heyday. The linen weaver's coat “Der gute Kamerad” (The Good Comrade) was one of the core products. Men's suits and women's fur coats ensured growing sales.

1937

In 1937, Herbert Tengelmann opened a women's fashion department for the first time, covering an area of 4,000 m². With the outbreak of World War II, Leineweber was also called upon to participate in the production of uniforms.

1948 – 1970

1948

By 1948, Leineweber had largely overcome the consequences of World War II. Reconstruction was complete and an economic upturn was beginning: the first new stores opened in Berlin and Bielefeld.

1950

In 1950, Leineweber launched the BRAX trouser brand. “The trousers of progress” for “discerning customers of all tastes” became the driving force behind rapid growth. Shortly afterwards, Leineweber also added BRAX trousers for women to its range.

1959

In 1959, Wolfgang Tengelmann takes over management of the company. The company continues to grow. At the end of the 1960s, Leineweber faces the effects of a recession and growing import pressure from low-wage countries for the first time since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany: while retail stores continue to flourish, production enters a crisis.

1960

Leineweber launches the first pants with a zipper in Germany.

1970 – 1993

1970

At the beginning of the 1970s, Leineweber further expanded the BRAX brand and developed into a trouser specialist.

1979

In 1979, Sigurd W. Gräf and Wolfgang Drewalowski took over management of the company, ushering in a phase of modernization at all levels. With its core brand BRAX, Leineweber has something special. Brands serve as a guide for customers. Thanks to the guaranteed fit, customers associate Brax with “feeling good in every situation.”

1993

When the “second economic miracle” expected in the fall of 1990 failed to materialize, Tengelmann fundamentally restructured the group and sold all remaining retail stores by 1993.

Contracts are signed with well-known department stores such as Kaufhof and the traditional Munich-based store Konen. BRAX provides specialist retailers with brochures, displays, and other advertising materials for communication with end consumers and records an increase in sales despite the ongoing economic crisis.

1993 – 2003

Following the sale of its retail stores, BRAX Leineweber is restructuring its sales operations in Germany. New strategies such as the shop-in-shop system are strengthening partnerships with specialist retailers.

1997

The first store specializing exclusively in pants opens at Bruns in Oldenburg in 1997.

1998

With the opening of its fully automated logistics center in Herford in 1998, BRAX Leineweber once again sets new standards in logistics. In addition, a quality assurance department is established at the Herford headquarters. Here, the company examines how procurement, delivery, production, and customer service can be optimally coordinated.

2000

In 2000, the company launched a brand relaunch: the slogan “BRAX Feel Good” conveys a positive attitude towards life and the emotional value that the brand stands for: “Feel good in BRAX.”

2003 – 2013

At the beginning of the new century, the BRAX brand stands for high-quality clothing that is characterized by perfect quality in manufacturing and fit.

2003

The launch of the knitwear collection in fall 2003 is a resounding success.

2006

Men's shirts and women's jackets will follow in 2006.

2007

The first BRAX stores will open in 2007.

2009

In September 2009, BRAX will launch its own online shop.

Investments in logistics and the launch of a large-scale consumer campaign are further milestones on the way to becoming the most successful brand for premium casual wear in Europe. New components such as social media and proprietary apps complement online communication.

2013

At the beginning of 2013, BRAX will present its own bag collection, which perfectly complements the premium look.

2013 – Today

2017

For the first time in the company's history, BRAX is running TV commercials in 2017: almost 600 seasonal spots during primetime on private and public television channels.

2020

The company has scored a major coup by securing Ana Ivanović and Bastian Schweinsteiger as the prominent faces of the BRAX brand from 2020 to 2025.

2024

In 2024, BRAX takes over the insolvent outdoor specialist Fuchs Schmitt and secures synergy effects in the further development and production of its own outdoor collections through the collaboration.

2025

The revamping of Brax's brand image is expected to make a significant contribution to the future growth strategy. A new logo, branding code, and product communication will ensure a consistent brand image.

Brax continues to innovate and evolve in the ever-changing fashion landscape.

Brax News

6/13/2025

Bicycle city meets fashion

On June 13, a special promotion took place around our store in Münster: Two teams distributed over 1,500 Brax saddle covers with QR codes in the city center. The campaign ensured visibility, fresh color accents, and a lot of attention for our brand.

6/4/2025

AOK Company run: Team spirit over 5 kilometers

A total of 2,700 participants took part in this year's AOK company run, including 70 motivated colleagues from our company.

5/26/2025

Hello Munich

On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, we opened our new store in the Riem Arcaden shopping center in Munich. The Brax womenswear and Brax menswear brands are presented in a 125 m² retail space.

3/20/2025

First After Work Event

Our first after-work event took place in glorious spring weather. From 4:30 p.m., around 105 employees enjoyed cool drinks, good music, and relaxed conversation in a laid-back atmosphere—the perfect way to end the working day.

3/3/2025

Next Generation

A few days ago, a very special workshop took place at Brax: “Future here we are”! The focus here was not on figures or strategies - but on the people who are shaping our future: our trainees.

Show more articles