Daily Front Row

2012 December 10

Rudigier and Partner Invests In Rena Lange

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Tracy Welch, president of Rena Lange, with Jen Rade
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(NEW YORK) Today in German fashion house acquisition news, Rena Lange has been sold to Rudigier and Partner. The four-year-old firm that has "made lifestyle their business," as their company adage goes, by investing in brands like Mabrun SpA, an Italian sportswear purveyor; Gloriette Bekleidungswerk GmbH, an Austrian shirting powerhouse, and German porcelain brand Arzberg Porzellan.

The Munich-based brand, rooted in a very traditional, polished aesthetic, got its start in 1916 as a lingerie boutique operated by Martha Lange. The brand's outpost was destroyed during WWII; in 1953, Lange's nephew, Peter Günthert, reinvigorated the brand by establishing it as a ready-to-wear label. Beginning in 1963, Günthert's wife, Renate Günthert, was named head designer. In 1982, the duo presented their first prêt-à-porter collection in Milan. In 2001, Renate and Peter passed the reins over to their son Daniel Günthert. Since then, the brand has expanded to include footwear and accessories collections. Rena Lange's current Munich location, on Palais Moy on Brienner Straße, is quite familiar to the label: it's the same as their original pre-WWII boutique.