Philipp Plein Biography

Philipp Plein is a German fashion designer and founder of an eponymous brand.

Career

Plein was studying law when he began designing furniture. Soon his designs drew attention from experts within the interior design industry and in 1998, the company was founded in Munich, Germany.

Plein started making bags and accessories from the leftover exotic leathers, which were sold alongside his design pieces at trade fairs. In 2003 the entrepreneur was asked to design a lounge at the German trade fair CPD Dsseldorf, for Moet & Chandon, where he was also allowed to sell his accessories. The initial namesake casual fashion brand was born a year later in 2004, while the current Philipp Plein luxury ready to wear label was launched in 2008. The brand currently counts more than 100 stores around the world.

The brand

His first collections were vintage military jackets which he embroidered with Swarovski skulls and sold at the Maison et Objet in Paris

In 2006 the accessories line was introduced and in 2008 the "Couture" collection was launched.

In 2008 Philipp Plein presented his "heavy metal" collection at the "Germany's Next Top Model" fashion show. In 2009 he collaborated with Mattel and presented the Philipp Plein Barbie doll during Barbie's 50th Birthday celebrations at the Nuremberg Toy Fair.

In the same year, the first store was opened in Monte Carlo, and the first commercial showroom in Milan.

In 2010 Plein boutiques opened in Vienna, Moscow, St. Tropez, Cannes, and Kitzbuhel in addition to the opening of a showroom in Dsseldorf. The spring/summer 2011 women"?s wear fashion show debuted at Milan fashion week in September and took place in a deconsecrated 16th century church filled with white roses, with after party DJ set by Pierre Sarkozy, who was also face of the men"?s spring/summer 2011 ad campaign.

Mischa Barton was chosen for the fall/winter 2010 season, while Lindsay Lohan posed for the Spring/Summer 2012 campaign. In 2011 PHILIPP PLEIN boutiques opened in Forte dei Marmi and Dsseldorf, and the Hong Kong showroom was inaugurated. The FW 2011 women"?s fashion show taking place in February featured a pre-show orchestra performance, this time featuring DJ set by Peaches Geldof.

In 2012, ten boutiques were opened, in Marbella, Moscow Crocus, Baku, Milan, Dubai, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Macau, Amsterdam and Berlin.

In 2012 Plein signed an agreement with the soccer team AS Roma to dress the team players starting with the 2012/13 season for 4 consecutive seasons.

In 2013 retail expansion included the opening of stores in Porto Cervo, Moscow, Paris, Miami, Casablanca, Courchevel, Kiev, Hangzhou, Seoul and New York.

2014 store openings include Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York, Ibiza, Bodrum, Doha, the first Plein duty free at Vienna airport. The men"?s Fall/Winter 2014 was created by fashion show producer Etienne Russo. The women"?s FW 2014 show featured Rita Ora, Naomi Campbell, Irina Shayk and Anne V.

The men"?s spring summer 2015 fashion show and after party took place in an abandoned historic public swimming pool refurbished for the show.

Awards

• 2007 winner of the GQ Awards National Brand of the Year
• 2008 winner of the New Faces Award in the category Fashion
• 2014 winner of the International Fashion Brand award at Esquire Middle East Man at his Best Fashion Awards