The Herford brand Brax is prepared for the challenges in the market. With a rebrand, she wants to make herself smarter and more attractive to a new and younger target group. Innovative cord themes are intended to bring fresh impulses to the FW 26/27 ranges. Managing director Marc Freyberg tells Fashion United what growth opportunities there are.
The Düsseldorf Fashion Days are over. How is the HW 2026/27 order round going for you?
We are satisfied with the result. The new corduroy themes for men and women are receiving great response. Cord is an innovative material. The beautiful colors come into their own, especially with the wide trousers.
Our major customers from Germany write their orders in Düsseldorf. The international tables were primarily attended by retail customers from Eastern Europe, who filled their order books in a concentrated amount of ten days. In the conceptual discussions with retail customers, we set important cornerstones to revitalize the product ranges.
Of course, you also have to say that the fall-winter season generally didn’t go well. The mood is tense and January in particular ruined the consumer mood. The sales rates are not where they should be. But we are crisis-tested and adapt to the situation. Everyone has to do their homework. I am confident that 2026 will be a good year.
The Brax brand world has been presenting itself in the showroom in the “White House” for a year. How do you feel in your new home?
The new showroom in the White House was an important step in our brand development journey. The industrial charm of the old building underlines our brand values – smart, stylish and passionate – in an inspiring ambience.
“With fresh momentum, we want to make our rebranding even more visible and tangible – and give our brand even more appeal,” you promised for 2025. What have you achieved?
Our goal is to make the Brax brand relevant and attractive to new and younger target groups. The main elements of the rebranding are the new logo and the branding code, which ensure a consistent brand appearance – from the product, its own stores to retail sales areas to all communication tools, the recognition value for consumers is given.
Another successful branding measure was our Brax roadshow from Vienna to Sylt. In figures it was 4,200 km, seven stops, an increase in sales in the company’s own stores of 154.8 percent compared to the previous year and an increase in frequency of 117.5 percent compared to the previous year on the days that the Cube was on site. On the roadshow days, we generated almost three times as many new customers who registered in the Brax Club. During the tour, we turned around 22,300 people into fans of the brand at the Roadshow Cube.
Retailers complain about a lack of frequency and reluctance to buy. The economy is lacking momentum and people are holding back their money. How do you assess the situation?
The current geopolitical situation and the challenges that our country has to overcome are certainly not creating a positive consumer climate at the moment. There is a lack of good news so that customers not only want to save their money, but also spend it on something nice like fashion. Many of our partners will leave the current autumn-winter season with higher remaining stocks. This will naturally lead to discussions about limits and pre-order quotas.
When I look at the range of trousers on the shelves, the Brax brand is widely represented. Where do you see further growth opportunities for the brand?
There are always opportunities for growth for us. Both for trousers and tops. We are now launching our new outdoor concept for autumn-winter 2026 – that will certainly develop well.
Give us a fashion outlook for the new fall-winter 2026 season.
The overarching motto “Welcome to the Cord Club” celebrates the core of Brax: the perfect synthesis of modernity, tradition, fresh inspiration and proven premium quality.
Brax womenswear starts the season with a modern bohemian vibe, with delicate flounced chiffon blouses and trendy crochet looks meeting rough-washed denim and statement twills in a vintage look. In autumn, smart preppy layering looks dominate the picture and skilfully highlight corduroy, styled with knits in argyle or multicolor stripes. Stylish and partly velvet flocked, the transition to a winter wardrobe succeeds, combining subtle, luxurious surfaces to create “Silent Opulence”. The key is in the material mix: wool jerseys, bouclé and herringbone are combined with cool vegan leather looks, cable knits and fringe styles. A touch of shimmering lurex and sequins accompanies the collection elegantly through the cold season.
The stylistic journey of Brax Menswear begins with the trend theme Heritage, which is inspired by the comeback of classic workwear and outdoor brands. This look is smartly combined with varsity college style. The resulting preppy chic integrates, among other things, sporty rugby details and delivers looks that impress within the menswear collection through intelligent smart layering and matching shirts. The entire look of straight relaxed fit trousers and matching tops is characterized by a relaxed fit and guarantees maximum comfort and casual modernity.
Raphaela by Brax celebrated its 25th birthday last year. How did the “little sister” establish itself in the brand world?
Raphaela is a huge success story. Clear focus on the end customer with an understandable range of forms.
Keyword export markets: How does Brax position itself in a globally networked world?
We are already represented in over 50 countries – we will continue to carefully expand this.
Donald Trump’s tariff policies have caused turmoil and confusion in the economy. As an international company, how do you deal with customs duties? How can you absorb the costs?
We cannot absorb high tariffs like this. Part of the increased costs is passed on to consumers through the price.
How do you deal with the issue of supply chains?
We are very well positioned worldwide in our supply chain and monitor the markets very closely. Sophisticated risk management gives us transparency so that we can adapt to every situation in the best possible way.
How do you assess the development in fashion retail? What do you see as the biggest challenges for 2026?
Nothing is as difficult to predict as the future. We are all faced with the question: What will the year bring? Will the crises become more or less? How does the EU react to US policy? Against this background, correct goods management is certainly very crucial.
About Marc Freyberg / Brax:
Marc Freyberg has been managing director of Leineweber GmbH & Co. KG, based in Herford, since 2020. In 2024, the company achieved sales of 361 million euros, with an export share of 34 percent. 7.5 million were produced. Article. The Brax brand is represented in more than 60 countries, in more than 60 stores worldwide and in over 1,440 locations. 1,100 employees are employed.
The company’s history begins in 1888 as a specialist men’s clothing store in Berlin. In 1932, Bernward Leineweber GmbH started its own production in Herford. The Brax trouser brand comes onto the market in 1950. In 2003, Brax started offering high-quality clothing to complement the trousers. The first own stores will be opened in 2007. Brax will receive a comprehensive brand relaunch in 2025.
