Hugo Boss founded the company in 1923. The head office is still in Stuttgart, Germany. He went bust in 1930 but in an agreement with his creditors he was able to keep 6 sewing machines and start again in 1931. From making men’s bespoke suits he moved on to production of working clothes and uniforms. 1931 was also the year that Boss joined the Nazi Party and began producing uniforms for the SS and the Hitler Youth among others. The reason he gave was that he hoped the party would end the devastating unemployment ravaging Germany at the time, adding that he had become withdrawn from the Lutheran church. As well as a member of the Nazi party, he also became a sponsoring member of the SS.“There is no denying that some of these Nazi uniforms had sex appeal,” said New York Times fashion critic Brenda Holmes. She believes Boss has successfully melded “old military flair” with “modern amenities.” In 2011 the German fashion firm apologised for its maltreatment of forced workers during World War II when it supplied the uniforms.

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