Designer

Daniel Wingate & Karen Shoeller

Company profile

Escada was founded by Margaretha and Wolfgang Ley in 1978 in Munich. The company soon stood out, with its distinctive creations featuring unusual combinations of colors and patterns, exclusive embroidery and elaborately designed knitted fashions. Escada saw a rapid upswing and continually extended its collections and its creative work. In the course of its international expansion, Escada SE went public in 1986. In 1994, the company launched the Escada Sport label, established its own accessories collection including bags and shoes and granted major licenses, collaborating with such partners as Procter & Gamble. In 2007, the artist Stefan Szczesny created a new Escada collection in Saint-Tropez. Since July 2008, Dr. Bruno Sälzer is the acting CEO with responsibilities for design, marketing, and sales.In August 11, 2009, Escada filed insolvency, as an exchange offer for the outstanding bonds of Euro 200 Million was not accepted by the necessary 80% of all bond holders. In November 2009 it was acquired by India's London based billionaire Lakshmi Mittal whose daughter-in-law Megha Mittal is the owner and Director of the Board. She is married to Aditya Mittal.