OBS wants to conquer the wide world step by step with German craftsmanship, a counter-draft to the faster and faster fashion industry.
The brothers Johannes and Matthias Schweizer sit on the steps behind their office. Instead of growing up the city with traffic noise, the founders of the Augsburg brand look at an idyllic, extensive meadow. In the background you can hear the twittering of birds.
But the two are by no means idle and are full of zest for action. However, it is important to you to slowly build your own brand and not rush anything, as you explain in conversation. The groundbreaking of the brand, founded in 2019, has long been made and the scaffold “of your house” continues to grow steadily.
Local craft
OBS stands for a reserved design that relates to architecture and craft. The craft forms the foundation stone because the brand works with local manufacturers in Germany as well as neighboring countries such as Italy, Poland and Austria and focuses on the product. The claim to the production facilities and quality is particularly high.
“We deal intensively with a sustainable ‘supply chain’ that we design transparently. It is very opaque and trend for other companies,” said Managing Director Matthias Schweiz.
As a result, the brand always reaches its limits and recently reduced its Wholesale strategy. So it can also happen that a supplier cannot carry out the order due to an illness in the family and have to move it. With additional partners: Inside abroad and an extension of the assortment, the brand is planning to only open up again for wholesale.
In Italy, among other things, Small Leather Goods, such as items and airpod cases, are manufactured. “We always look for the absolute professionals in this area and have their own manufacture for each article, which is then particularly good at it.”
step by step
What started with small leather goods has developed into a brand with bags, accessories and ready-to-wear, which was first presented in an extensive collection at the Berlin fashion week in January. In front of an international audience, the brand directed a construction site for which it karried rubble and equipment in a St. Elisabeth Church in Berlin-Mitte.
The feedback for the show was good and remained in your memory in the months afterwards, so that she became the door opener at events and PR appointments. “With the first show we were able to move the borders in our favor.” In this way, the brand now gets the possibility of “going to this thing even more radically, abstracting more” and “moving away from the norm and showing that this vision works,” explains the co -founder.
This vision is to be illustrated at a presentation in January next January that the brothers can no longer say. It is only clear that this time it won’t be a show like in Berlin. It is also not yet certain where this event will take place. Although one was grateful for the logistical framework, because the organizers of the Berlin Fashion Week created, but not sure whether it is the right one for your own brand.
After the appearance in the German capital, there had already been interested in international events such as the Italian furniture fair Salone del Mobile Milano. The brand is already working on the topic of furniture and living – regardless of the event – behind the scenes, explains Creative Director Johannes Schweizer.
In addition, a pop-up tour with workshops and insights into the observatory is planned, which should also stop in some German cities. This is not as obvious as it might seem, because the brand is currently not represented by any German dealer. The brand is global at seven trading partners: found inside, five of them in Asian space, one in Copenhagen and one in New York.
International course
OBS has been international since the start. Already in 2019, the brand presented its first collection in a showroom in Paris, where it will also return in January. In addition, the founders are under discussion with a new sales agency from Japan, which is supposed to drive the expansion and has showrooms all over the world. The Asian market and northern Europe in particular are at the top of the list.
In these regions, the vision and the product are understood immediately and there is no longer any need for persuasion, explains Matthias Schweizer. “In the western world, when you look at the USA, the focus is still on many trend -based, loud products.”
The concept also plays an important role in cooperation with the trading partner: inside. In the future, a brand installation in the store will be a prerequisite for “Worldbuilding and this physical experience.”
This is also clear that OBS is an independent brand that is not pushed in one direction by the interests of investor: inside. The brothers, who are only supported by school friend Salim Jakoub Ibrahim, seem to be on the right track.
Due to the extended production volume, sales increased by 30 percent in the previous year comparison and the profit was also expanded. “If we look at the first quarter now, it looks like that we can maintain this trend,” said Matthias Schweizer.
“We are here to stay,” adds his brother. “We don’t want to build something trend -based, fast, but build a solid foundation that has been there for a long time. Everything happens step by step.”