IN MARKING ITS CENTENNIAL, AKRIS IS LOOKING FORWARD
AND BACK. WRITER ADRIENNE GAFFNEY
CATCHES UP WITH CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALBERT KRIEMLER
JUST AS THE PARTY IS GETTING STARTED.
or us, this centennial is an incentive to pause, a point in
which everything can renew itself," says Albert Kriemler, the
creative director of Akris. "Let's call it a rebeginning." One
hundred years (and some change) af ter A lice K riemler-
Schoch of St. Gallen, Switzerland, began selling polka-dot
aprons under the name Akris, the business has become one
of the most celebrated Swiss luxury brands. It's a powerhouse line known
for its expert approach to dressing professional women, and its popularity
among the most st ylish, including Cate Blanchet t, Amal Clooney, and
Charlene, Princess of Monaco, a longtime Akris loyal. The brand's fabrics
are famous— St. Gallen has long been a textile hub—and, despite its size,
it uses no social media. Akris's history and its Swiss roots shape the work
that Kriemler, Alice's grandson, does and the company is marking this
year's anniversar y w ith ex uberance throughout the year, a notable
departure for a typically subtle brand.
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