Hugo Boss Says It Made Uniforms for Nazis

Before Hugo Boss became known for classic men’s suits and flashy ties, the clothing manufacturer produced uniforms for the Nazis, a company spokeswoman has acknowledged. The Frankfurt, Germany-based company said it was tipped to the Nazi dealings when founder Hugo Boss’ name appeared on a list of dormant accounts released by Swiss bankers last month. In the 1930s, when the Boss company was making Nazi uniforms, it was not a high-fashion house, but a small family-run business that manufactured police and postal uniforms. “Of course, my father belonged to the Nazi Party,” Siegfried Boss, 83, told the Austrian news weekly Profil in the latest issue. “But who didn’t belong back then? The whole industry worked for the Nazi army.” Hugo Boss died in 1948, and the factory returned to making uniforms for postal workers and police officers. It produced its first men’s suits in the 1950s, but didn’t focus exclusively on men’s fashion until the early 1970s, when Boss’ nephews Uwe and Jochen Holy assumed control of the business.