Van Laack

Founded in 1881 in Berlin by Heinrich van Laack as a dedicated specialist in men’s dress shirts, Van Laack has operated continuously for more than 140 years under family and private ownership, with the company now headquartered in Mönchengladbach and led by the Lipper family as majority shareholders. The brand sits in the German premium men’s shirt segment alongside competitors such as Eterna, Olymp, and Seidensticker, but with a distinctive positioning at the upper end of the price spectrum closer to fully bespoke shirtmakers.

Van Laack built its market identity around technical shirtmaking expertise: distinctive collar constructions, the proprietary “Royal” cotton qualities, hand-finishing details, and a tailored fit range that distinguished the brand from German mass-market shirt manufacturers. The product range extends from formal dress shirts to casual shirting, knitwear, ties, and a small accessories range, with the menswear category remaining the dominant business and a smaller women’s blouse range expanding more recently. The brand operates manufacturing across Germany, Vietnam, and select European and Asian partner facilities, with the highest-tier “Royal” line produced in Germany. Annual revenue is estimated in the range of €100 to €150 million, with the Lipper family maintaining majority private ownership. Van Laack received broad public attention in 2020 when it pivoted manufacturing capacity to produce high-quality protective masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming one of the largest medical-grade mask producers in Europe during the crisis period. The brand suspended Russian operations in 2022.

Van Laack distributes through approximately 70 directly operated and franchised boutiques, supplemented by extensive wholesale placement in multi-brand premium menswear retailers and department store concessions across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Benelux, and select international markets. For mall operators, Van Laack is a Class A specialty premium menswear tenant typically taking 80 to 150 square meters, fitting the German-market premium shirt cluster alongside Eterna, Seidensticker, and Olymp at a higher price point. The strongest mall positioning is in regional centers with strong professional male demographics across DACH markets.