Karlowsky Fashion - A success story for 5 generations
For generations, the name "Karlowsky" has stood for high-quality branded clothing in the catering and hotel industry - and for some years now also in the fields of medicine, care, cosmetics and wellness. With Thomas & Niels Karlowsky, generations four and five are now responsible for the fortunes of the family business.
The workwear expert's success story began in 1892 with great-great-great-grandfather August Karlowsky, who laid the foundations for the family business. He traded in selected haberdashery and initially travelled from market to market with wooden carts. From 1936, his son Herrmann and his wife Frida took the decisive step forwards. Our former retail shop developed into a wholesale business with several branches, whose goods were produced in the company's own factories. After the war, private property was expropriated in the GDR. Frieda Karlowsky was able to agree a commission contract with the state (half state, half private) so that the company could remain at least partly in family hands
After Frida's death, the family inheritance initially passed into the hands of the two daughters, before Thomas took over as the fourth generation in 1974 at the age of just 14 - initially as administrator until 1989, then as managing director from 1990 and with a new direction for the company. Growing product range, growing customer base, growing importance - the 1990s and 2000s are characterised by expansion, innovation and many pioneering decisions to become one of the most important producers of workwear for the catering and hotel industry in Germany.
The fifth Karlowsky generation has been on board since 2014: Niels was initially in charge of the Business Development, Export, IT & Marketing departments before moving to the Management Board in 2023. Since then, Thomas & Niels Karlowsky have formed a dual leadership team in the company, utilising their passion, shared expertise and innovative ideas to ensure that the company can continue into further generations and further successful chapters.
Niels & Thomas Karlowsky | The management
