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Nazi chic from Hugo Boss. Hugo Boss - Nazi uniform creator and Hitler's personal stylist

The famous German fashion house apologized to the world community for the use of forced labor in its factories during the Second World War.

Hugo Ferdinand BOSS.

Why did Hugo join the Nazi party?

Back in 1997, Hugo Boss publicly acknowledged its collaboration with the Nazis. The impetus for the statement by representatives of the company was the publication of hidden accounts in Swiss banks, in which the name of Hugo Boss appeared, which proved his connection with the Nazis. But then the statements contained a statement about the complete ignorance of the company’s management about this fact - the argument was the absence in the company’s archives of any mention of events related to serving the Nazi regime.
In 2006, the Austrian magazine Profil wrote that Hugo Boss supplied Hitler's army with uniforms during World War II. And, even worse, she used the labor of prisoners from concentration camps and prisoners of war for this purpose. The company did not deny the accusations. Spokeswoman Monica Steilen said at the time: “The Hugo Boss factory made work clothes and, apparently, uniforms for the SS.” But since the enterprise did not have more accurate information about its history, the supply of Nazi uniforms and the use of forced labor were left without comment. And only a year later, Hugo Boss's 83-year-old son Siegfried admitted that his father was a member Nazi Party. “Who wasn’t a member at that time? The whole industry worked for the Nazis,” said Siegfried Boss.
To cleanse the company's image, it was decided to hire a historian who would investigate the events of 60 years ago, as did many other German companies accused of collaborating with the Nazis.
The author of the recently published book “Hugo Boss, 1924-1945”, a specialist in economic history at the University of the Bundeswehr, Roman Köster, to whom the company commissioned the research, had to check the rumors about the use of forced labor in the company’s factories, and also find out whether Hugo Ferdinand Boss really was Hitler's "personal tailor".
After studying historical documents, the author of the book came to the conclusion that the founder of a textile company in the city of Metzingen (Baden-Württemberg) was a sincere supporter of the Nazi party. “It is clear that Hugo Ferdinand Boss joined the party not only because of the opportunity to receive orders for sewing military uniforms,” writes the author of the publication.
After the war, Boss maintained until his death in 1948 that he joined its ranks to save his company, receiving orders to sew uniforms first for party members and then for SS units. “This may be true, but judging by the statements of Hugo Ferdinand Boss, it cannot be said that his personal views were at odds with the views of the National Socialists,” says Koester. “This most likely did not happen.”
Since April 1940, Hugo Boss began using forced labor, mainly women, in his enterprise. At the factory, which served as the basis for the current Fashion House, 140 immigrants from Poland and 40 from France were used as forced labor in those years. A camp was built especially for such workers near the factory. Hygiene and food supply were at times very far from accepted standards.
As Roman Köster notes, in 1944, a year before the end of the war, Boss tried to alleviate the situation of female workers. He ordered to place some of them in his house, and also improved their food. “We can only repeat what is already known: the attitude towards forced factory workers was at times very cruel and reached the point of coercion. At the same time, they were cared for, so it is very difficult to come to clear conclusions,” writes the author of the book.
The management of the Hugo Boss fashion house does not deny its past. Having received the results of Roman Koester's research, the bosses not only did not prevent the publication of the book, but also accompanied it with an official apology for the use of forced labor in the past. “We acknowledge all the unpleasant facts and deeply regret that many people had to endure suffering while working in our factories during the war years. We didn't even try to hide it or rewrite history. By funding Roman Köster's research, we hoped to see true story our company. Our expectations have come true,” says Hugo Boss management in an official statement.
Representatives of Hugo Boss claim that they did not subject the work of Roman Koester to any censorship and that the book was published in the form in which the author wrote it.

It all started with a uniform for postmen

Hugo Boss is one of the most famous fashion houses. This brand produces classic lines of clothing, accessories and perfumes. Clothing lines for men and women (there is also a children's line) from Hugo Boss are produced under two brands: Boss collections are presented separately, the main one is called Boss Black, and Hugo clothing lines are presented separately. Unlike the classic Boss, the Hugo brand is more unconventional and progressive. Hugo Boss positions the Baldessarini brand as another brand for “sophisticated” men and women, as the advertisement claims. Accessories are also produced under the Hugo Boss brand: watches, sunglasses and even mobile phones(together with Samsung), as well as perfumes.
Hugo Ferdinand Boss founded his company in Metzingen in 1923, just a few years after the end of the First World War, at a time when almost all of Germany was in a state of economic collapse.
At first it was family business, the company was a small store that grew into a small factory that was engaged in sewing uniforms for social services- police officers, postmen and overalls for workers. The post-war crisis in Germany affected the company, and soon, in 1930, Hugo Boss declared bankruptcy.
But changes in the social and political life of Germany gave the company the opportunity for revenge. In 1931 (two years before Adolf Hitler came to power), Hugo Boss, like many Germans, joined the National Socialist Party of Germany. And soon the new party affiliation begins to bear fruit. One of the first major contracts that Hugo Boss received was an order to sew brown shirts for members of the Nazi party. He then received orders to make uniforms for the German armed forces, stormtroopers, SS men and the youth organization Hitler Jugend. He also proudly wore a party badge on his jacket, recalls Hugo Boss's son Siegfried.
In 1946, for his party membership, support of the SS and supply of uniforms to Nazi troops - even until 1933 - the Boss was recognized as an activist and supporter of the NSDAP; for this he was deprived of the right to vote, the opportunity to manage his own company and was fined 100,000 marks.
IN post-war period the company returns to making clothes for postmen and police officers. In 1948, the founder of the company, Hugo Boss, died, but the company continued to develop, and in the early 50s the first men's suit appeared in its assortment. But it wasn't until the 70s that the company focused entirely on men's fashion. Turning Hugo Boss into that fashion brand, as we know him now, was greatly facilitated by the new management of the company. In 1967, brothers Holly, Uwe and Jochen, the grandchildren of Hugo Boss, took over management. In the wake of the post-war economic recovery in Germany, Hugo Boss is rapidly developing and becoming the largest clothing manufacturer in Germany and one of the largest in the world, as well as an influential fashion house.

Heinrich HIMMLER in a Hugo Boss suit.

Entrepreneurs of the Third Reich

The Hugo Boss fashion house has joined the long list of major German concerns that admitted to using slave labor during the Second World War.
Equipment manufacturers Krupp, Siemens, medical company Bayer, automobile companies Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche, and American company Ford exploited the labor of hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war. For example, at the BMW factories, 30,000 prisoners repaired military aircraft engines, but at the Krupp factories, 70,000 prisoners, along with the manufacture of coffee makers and washing machines built...gas chambers. This company even had its own factory on the territory of the Auschwitz concentration camp. At the Bayer plant, prisoners made poisonous gases, and they lived only three and a half months. Of 35,000 workers
25,000 died.
Enterprises explained the use of prison labor simply - all ordinary workers were in the army, there was no one to work. The money earned by prisoners went to Hitler's party to finance military operations. Already in the 1950s, some former prisoners began to demand compensation from these German companies, and many of the demands were satisfied.
Not long ago, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the furniture company IKEA, was accused of sympathizing with the National Socialists. One of the richest men in the world, Ingvar Kamprad also collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. Moreover, as Swedish historian Elisabeth Osbrink argues in her new book, the founder of IKEA still does not hide his sympathies for the Nazis.

For that time, the uniform of the German troops, sewn by Hugo Boss, was very fashionable and functional.

Fashion the SS way

The SS uniforms were carefully designed and looked intimidating. (SS is the abbreviated name of the German Schutzstaffel - “defensive division”, the elite of the fascist troops.) The black SS uniform (well known to our viewers from the series “Seventeen Moments of Spring” by Tatyana Lioznova) was invented by a 34-year-old heraldry specialist, a member of the “Imperial Association of German Artists” "Professor Karl Diebitsch with his assistant Walter Heck. The latter also developed an emblem in the form of a double “zig” rune (the “zig” rune - lightning - in ancient German mythology was considered a symbol of the god of war Thor) and the design of bladed weapons for the SS.
Diebitsch was inspired to create the SS uniform by the uniform of the Prussian "Hussars of Death" (colloquially German Since the 18th century, this has been the customary name for the 1st Life Hussar Regiment and the 2nd Life Hussar Regiment of Queen Victoria of Prussia), which was decorated with the Totenkopf emblem - “death's head”.
Ironically, in Russian Empire there were their own black hussars, dressed in similar uniforms: the Fifth Regiment of Alexandrian Hussars.
Black uniforms and caps for SS members were introduced on July 7, 1932, and after 1939 a mass transition of SS members to gray uniforms began. In fact, from that moment on, they stopped wearing black uniforms, giving preference to gray ones. Also for operations in Italy and the Balkans, SS units wore yellow uniforms. In 1944, the wearing of black uniforms was abolished in Germany. Soviet cultural figures turned it into a memorable symbol of the SS man.

- Yes, I know that the Nazi uniform was invented by Hugo Boss, but objectively, the uniform is very beautiful. Stirlitz immediately comes to mind... And now our soldiers, they say, wear Yudashkin’s uniforms. So feel the difference, as they say. In general, I believe that art should be judged separately from the temporary circumstances in which it was created.

Alexey GOLOVIN,
psychologist (Krasnoyarsk):

- I heard that Hugo Boss even used the services of a small concentration camp for prisoners of war. They made shirts for German soldiers. There is a legend that he moved especially capable workers into his house, improved their living conditions... I don’t know how to feel about this. You can't rewrite history. Nevertheless, now the company is apologizing to the victims of Nazism for something, which means they feel involved in bad deeds.

Eduard PINYUGZHANIN,
TV journalist (Kirov):

- The fact that Hugo Boss sewed uniforms for the Nazis did not shock me and did not become some kind of revelation. At that time, many people, in order to survive, had to accept for themselves the “rules of the game” that were dictated by Hitler’s government. It is worth noting that Hugo Boss earned money himself in this way and, by creating jobs, gave others the opportunity to earn a piece of bread. His products were not lethal. The form can only be intimidating. So I don’t see anything special about what Hugo Boss did during World War II.

Igor NELYUBIN,
press secretary of VyatkaTorf CJSC (Kirov):

- We know an artist by his works, and not by what he was like in life. Scoundrels can also be talented - this fact does not require proof. We cannot say that Hugo Boss was a scoundrel simply because he did his work with talent and quality. If he had worked differently, no one would have thanked him for it or remembered him at all. Another thing is that the Boss himself was a Nazi and used slave labor. This does not suit him at all and would probably be worthy of condemnation at Nuremberg trials as aiding the enemy. Without any discount on his talent. But people, no matter what they are, die. What remains is what is valuable for our society, for future generations.

Lyubov MOZHAEVA,
artistic director of the creative association “Union of Creators of Russia” (Irkutsk):

- The Second World War ended a long time ago, but facts from the “black” past are still emerging. On the one hand, like any sensible person, I am deeply disgusted by forced labor. I understand perfectly well that the workers, or rather, the workers (as far as I know, the factory workers at that time were mostly women from Poland, France and Ukraine) lived in terrible conditions. This was a concentration camp, not a resort. But I fully accept the idea that Hugo Ferdinand Boss was indeed forced to work for Hitler’s regime in order to maintain his business. By analogy with our country, our factories were also repurposed for the needs of the war. I doubt that the leadership of the USSR offered any choice - rather, they simply presented it with a fact.

Sergey PLATONOV,
senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Management in Construction (Irkutsk):

- German historians entered into controversy over this scandal. Some say that Hugo Boss was forced to collaborate with Hitler, others (in particular, Roman Koester) argue that the businessman sincerely sympathized with National Socialism. To know reliable information is no longer possible. But it is known for certain that Hugo Boss paid a fine for collaborating with the Nazis. Management has now apologized for the use of slave labor. In addition, in 2000, the company joined the “Memory, Responsibility, Future” fund, created by large German companies to pay compensation to former forced laborers. To summarize, I can say that these official apologies and all the information that has surfaced in connection with this, even if not very flattering, are all a good PR move in support of a book about the history of the company and interest in the brand.

The SS troops belonged to the SS organization; service in them was not considered state service, even if it was legally equivalent to such. The military uniform of SS soldiers is quite recognizable all over the world; most often this black uniform is associated with the organization itself. It is known that the uniforms for SS employees during the Holocaust were sewn by prisoners of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

History of the SS military uniform

Initially, soldiers of the SS troops (also “Waffen SS”) wore gray uniforms, very similar to the uniform of regular stormtroopers German army. In 1930, the same well-known black uniform was introduced, which was supposed to emphasize the difference between the troops and the rest and determine the elitism of the unit. By 1939, SS officers received a white dress uniform, and from 1934, a gray one was introduced, intended for field battles. The gray military uniform differed from the black one only in color.

Additionally, SS soldiers were entitled to a black overcoat, which, with the introduction of the gray uniform, was replaced by a double-breasted one, respectively. gray. High-ranking officers were allowed to wear their overcoat unbuttoned by the top three buttons so that the colored distinctive stripes were visible. Subsequently, holders of the Knight's Cross received the same right (in 1941), who were allowed to display the award.

The Waffen SS women's uniform consisted of a gray jacket and skirt, as well as a black cap with the SS eagle.

A black ceremonial club jacket with the symbols of the organization for officers was also developed.

It should be noted that in fact the black uniform was the uniform of the SS organization specifically, and not the troops: only SS members had the right to wear this uniform; transferred Wehrmacht soldiers were not allowed to use it. By 1944, the wearing of this black uniform was officially abolished, although in fact by 1939 it was used only on special occasions.

Distinctive features of the Nazi uniform

The SS uniform had a number of distinctive features, which are easily remembered even now, after the dissolution of the organization:

The SS emblem of two German "Sig" runes was used on uniform insignia. Only ethnic Germans - Aryans - were allowed to wear runes on their uniforms; foreign members of the Waffen SS did not have the right to use this symbolism.
“Death's Head” - at first, a metal round cockade with the image of a skull was used on the cap of SS soldiers. Later it was used on the buttonholes of soldiers of the 3rd Tank Division.
The red armband with a black swastika on a white background was worn by members of the SS and stood out significantly against the background of the black dress uniform.
The image of an eagle with outstretched wings and a swastika (formerly the coat of arms of Nazi Germany) eventually replaced skulls on cap badges and began to be embroidered on the sleeves of uniforms.

The Waffen SS camouflage pattern differed from the Wehrmacht camouflage. Instead of the conventional pattern design with parallel lines applied, creating the so-called “rain effect,” woody and plant patterns were used. Since 1938, the following camouflage elements of the SS uniform have been adopted: camouflage jackets, reversible covers for helmets and face masks. On camouflage clothing it was necessary to wear green stripes indicating rank on both sleeves, however, for the most part this requirement was not observed by officers. During campaigns, a set of stripes was also used, each of which denoted one or another military qualification.

Rank insignia on SS uniform

The ranks of Waffen SS soldiers did not differ from the ranks of Wehrmacht employees: the differences were only in form. The uniform used the same distinctive signs, such as shoulder straps and embroidered buttonholes. SS officers wore insignia with the symbols of the organization both on shoulder straps and in buttonholes.

The shoulder straps of SS officers had a double backing, the upper one differing in color depending on the type of troops. The backing was edged with a silver cord. On the shoulder straps there were signs of belonging to one or another unit, metal or embroidered with silk threads. The shoulder straps themselves were made of gray galloon, while their lining was invariably black. The bumps (or “stars”) on the shoulder straps, designed to indicate the officer’s rank, were bronze or gilded.

The buttonholes featured runic “zigs” on one, and rank insignia on the other. The employees of the 3rd Panzer Division, which was nicknamed "Death's Head" instead of "zig", had an image of a skull, which was previously worn as a cockade on the cap of SS men. The edges of the buttonholes were edged with twisted silk cords, and for generals they were covered with black velvet. They also used it to line the general's caps.

Video: SS form

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Hugo Boss (Hugo Boss) – a German company producing luxury clothing and perfumes. Products are sold in 124 countries in more than 6,100 stores, both owned and operated through a franchise system.

Hugo Boss brand history

1885: birth of Hugo Ferdinand Boss, creator of the brand.

1923: Hugo Boss founded a small textile company in Metzingen(Germany), located south of Stuttgart. Initially, this was a family atelier combined with a small store. Then the business gradually gains momentum, and the enterprise becomes a garment factory, producing uniforms for workers, postmen and police officers.

1925: The company employs 33 employees. A crisis is approaching, and the company is trying to get out of it by producing hunting clothes, national costumes, work overalls, rubber and leather raincoats. Hugo Boss agrees with creditors on the purchase of 6 sewing machines. Some workers accept pay cuts to support the enterprise.

1931: there is a crisis in the country, the Hugo Boss factory is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the entrepreneur joins the National Socialist Party of Germany. She begins to receive orders for sewing uniforms of the SA, SS and Hitler Youth, which saves the company from ruin. However, the design of the uniform is not created by Hugo himself, but by Karl Diebitsch, who designs most of the military uniforms and regalia of the Third Reich.

1932-1945: Hugo Boss is the official supplier of clothing for both ordinary German soldiers and Wehrmacht and SS officers. During World War II, the factory was declared an important military enterprise., it employs about 150 forced laborers, primarily from Poland and Ukraine, as well as 30 French prisoners of war.

1946: The factory almost burns down again: Hugo Boss is accused of collaborating with the Nazis, fined 80,000 marks and deprived of the right to vote.

1948: Hugo Boss dies, and the company is headed by his son-in-law Eugen Holy. Hugo Boss once again specializes in uniforms for railway workers and postmen.

1953: Hugo Boss launches its first men's suit. This is a turning point in the history of the company: it begins to move away from mass production of clothing and gradually approaches the world.

1967: The company is headed by Uwe and Jochen Holy, the children of the former head of the company and the grandchildren of its founder. They are the ones who turn the brand into a world famous fashion brand.

1970s: Hugo Boss is growing rapidly. Firstly, the company becomes the largest manufacturer in Germany men's clothing. Secondly, the company is turning into an influential fashion house.

1972: Hugo Boss is sponsoring Formula 1 races and golf and tennis championships for the first time.

1975: talented ( Werner Baldessarini) begins to collaborate with Hugo Boss.

1984: launch of the brand's perfume line.

1993: the company becomes the property of the Italian holding Marzotto SpA (currently Valentino Fashion Group). The Hawley brothers are leaving the company. General Director Peter Littman becomes the company. It divides the brand into lines with different target audience: Boss, offering , Hugo with bold youth models, Baldessarini with luxury products.

1996: the appearance of the Hugo Boss award for achievements in contemporary art.

1997: the company receives a license to produce watches together with the Swiss brand Tempus Concept.

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Hugo Boss - Nazi uniform creator and Hitler's personal stylist

What can we say, the Nazis created a magnificent visual background for themselves: events, symbols, clothing. I remember as a kid looking at Stirlitz in a German uniform - spectacular!

Several years ago, a scandal erupted around the published facts about the involvement of the world famous brand “Hugo Boss” in the creation of military uniforms for Wehrmacht soldiers and officers. The famous designer Hugo Boss was accused of collaborating with the Nazis and personal connections with Hitler. The company even turned to historians for help to understand this issue. And although the results of scientific research refuted many of the widely circulated myths about the designer, the company had to admit the fact of creating Nazi uniforms and apologize for the exploitation of prisoners of war and concentration camp prisoners in factories.

But back to Hugo...

In those days the name Hugo Boss was not yet famous brand. He started his professional path as an employee of a garment factory in 1902. 6 years later, he inherited a textile shop from his parents, and in 1923 Hugo Boss opened his own sewing company - a workshop for sewing workwear, windbreakers, overalls and raincoats for workers. In 1930, his company was on the verge of bankruptcy. To save her from ruin, he began sewing Wehrmacht uniforms

Rumors that the world famous company“Hugo Boss” profited from collaboration with the Nazis, appeared in the late 1990s, stirred up society and became the cause of a loud scandal. In 1997, the company publicly admitted its collaboration with the Nazis. Since this had a negative impact on the brand image, the company sponsored research these facts, which was carried out by the Munich historian Roman Kester. In 2012, he published a book entitled Hugo Boss, 1924–1945. A garment factory between the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich,” in which he detailed the results of his research.

As it turned out, Hugo Boss was actually engaged in sewing military uniforms for the Wehrmacht and received large profits from these orders. And the factory used the forced labor of 140 immigrants from Poland and 40 French prisoners. However, no written evidence has survived that Hugo Boss was Adolf Hitler's personal tailor. In addition, the designer did not participate in the development of sketches and the creation of patterns, and his factory was one of many, far from the largest, of all companies that were engaged in sewing uniforms.

Karl Diebitsch – designer of the black SS uniform

In fact, the designer of the black SS uniform was not Hugo Boss, but Karl Diebitsch, a German artist, designer and SS officer, and the SS emblem in the form of two Sieg runes was designed by graphic artist Walter Heck. The black color of the SS officers' uniform was intended to evoke respect and fear, but it soon turned out that this color had a significant drawback: summer time he absorbs solar radiation and provokes profuse sweating. Therefore, the black color was soon replaced by gray, although black continued to be used in the ceremonial uniforms of the highest echelon SS officers. The Hugo Boss factory only produced uniforms designed by Karl Diebitsch.

Diebitsch was inspired to create the SS uniform by the uniform of the Prussian *Hussars of Death*

But the fact that Hugo Boss collaborated with the Nazis not out of coercion, but out of personal conviction, was confirmed even by his son. In 2007, Siegfried Boss publicly admitted that his father was a member of the Nazi Party and commented on this fact: “Who was not a member at that time? The whole industry worked for the Nazis." Back in 1931, the designer voluntarily joined the National Socialist Workers' Party of the NSDAP and was himself a convinced Nazi. It became main reason, according to which his factory was registered as an important military enterprise and received a large order for sewing Wehrmacht uniforms. German historian Henning Kober claims that all representatives of the management of the Hugo Boss company were Nazis and supporters of Hitler.

After the end of the war, the factory again began producing workwear for postmen, police officers and railway workers. And its owner was tried, he escaped prison, but was sentenced to pay a fine of 100 thousand marks. True, Hugo Boss was later partially rehabilitated, and his status was changed: from an “accused” he turned into a “sympathizer.” In 1948, the designer passed away at the age of 63. His company became a world famous brand after his death.

Several years ago, a scandal erupted around the published facts about the involvement of the world famous brand “Hugo Boss” in the creation of military uniforms for Wehrmacht soldiers and officers. Famous designer Hugo Bossa accused of collaborating with the Nazis and personal connections with Hitler. The company even turned to historians for help to understand this issue. And although the results of scientific research refuted many of the widely circulated myths about the designer, the company had to admit the fact of creating Nazi uniforms and apologize for the exploitation of prisoners of war and concentration camp prisoners in factories.

At that time, the name Hugo Boss was not yet a well-known brand. He began his professional journey as a garment factory worker in 1902. 6 years later, he inherited a textile shop from his parents, and in 1923, Hugo Boss opened his own sewing company - a workshop for sewing workwear, windbreakers, overalls and raincoats for workers . In 1930, his company was on the verge of bankruptcy. To save her from ruin, he began sewing Wehrmacht uniforms.

Rumors that the world-famous Hugo Boss company was profiting from collaboration with the Nazis appeared in the late 1990s, agitated society and caused a loud scandal. In 1997, the company publicly admitted its collaboration with the Nazis. Since this had a negative impact on the brand's image, the company sponsored a scientific study of these facts, which was carried out by the Munich historian Roman Kester. In 2012, he published a book entitled Hugo Boss, 1924–1945. A garment factory between the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich,” in which he detailed the results of his research.

In fact, the designer of the black SS uniform was not Hugo Boss, but Karl Diebitsch, a German artist, designer and SS officer, and the SS emblem in the form of two Sieg runes was designed by graphic artist Walter Heck. The black color of the SS officers' uniform was intended to evoke respect and fear, but it soon turned out that this color had a significant drawback: in the summer it absorbs solar radiation and provokes profuse sweating. Therefore, the black color was soon replaced by gray, although black continued to be used in the ceremonial uniforms of the highest echelon SS officers. The Hugo Boss factory only produced uniforms designed by Karl Diebitsch.

But the fact that Hugo Boss collaborated with the Nazis not out of coercion, but out of personal conviction, was confirmed even by his son. In 2007, Siegfried Boss publicly admitted that his father was a member of the Nazi Party and commented on this fact: “ Who wasn't a member at that time? The entire industry worked for the Nazis" Back in 1931, the designer voluntarily joined the National Socialist Workers' Party of the NSDAP and was himself a convinced Nazi. This was the main reason why his factory was registered as an important military enterprise and received a large order for sewing Wehrmacht uniforms. German historian Henning Kober claims that all representatives of the management of the Hugo Boss company were Nazis and supporters of Hitler.

After the publication of Roman Kester's book, Hugo Boss posted a statement on its website in which it expressed: deep regret for the suffering suffered by those who had to work in the Hugo Boss factory under the Nazis”, which recognized the legitimacy of the historian’s conclusions.

And in the fashion world, the uniforms of the Third Reich, created by Hugo Boss, are considered the most beautiful and stylish military uniform. In the 1990s. even a new movement was born - Nazi chic - Nazi chic. It was especially popular in Japan, where neo-Nazi organizations appeared. True, such a fashion is dictated not by aesthetic preferences, but by socio-political views, and is very far from ethical considerations - what is called “beyond good and evil.”

Similar rumors circulated about the founder of another famous brand: