Step by step: OBS aim to bring European craftsmanship to the world

Founded in 2019, OBS sought to gradually conquer the world with German craftsmanship, countering the ever-faster fashion industry.

In conversation with FashionUnited, brothers Johannes and Matthias Schweizer sat on the steps behind their office. Here, instead of a bustling city with traffic noise, the founders of the Augsburg-based brand look out onto an idyllic, spacious meadow. Birdsong could be heard in the background.

The duo, however, were by no means idle. While full of drive, it was important to the brothers to build their own brand slowly and not rush into anything, they explained. Now, OBS has broken ground, and the framework of "their house" continues to grow steadily.

Local craft

OBS stands for an understated design that references architecture and craftsmanship. The latter has formed the cornerstone, as the brand worked with local manufacturers in Germany and neighbouring countries such as Italy, Poland and Austria, and placed the product at the centre. The standards for production facilities and quality are particularly high.

“We are intensively involved with a sustainable supply chain, which we are making transparent. With other companies, it is very opaque and trend-based,” said managing director Matthias Schweizer.

As a result, the brand repeatedly reached its limits in terms of volume and recently also reduced its wholesale strategy. So, it could also happen that a supplier, due to a case of illness in the family, could not fulfil the order and had to postpone it. With additional partners abroad and an expansion of the product range, however, the brand planned to open up more to wholesale again.

In Italy, among other things, small leather goods, such as wallets and Airpod cases, were manufactured. “We always look for the absolute professionals in this field and have a separate manufacturer for each item, which is then particularly good at it.”

Step by step

What began with small leather goods developed into a brand with bags, accessories and ready-to-wear, which was presented for the first time in an extensive collection at Berlin Fashion Week in January. In front of an international audience, the brand staged a construction site, for which they carted rubble and construction equipment into St. Elisabeth Church in Berlin-Mitte.

The feedback was positive, and the show remained in many people's minds in the months that followed, making it a door-opener at events and PR appointments. “The first show allowed us to push the boundaries in our favour.” This gave the brand the opportunity to “approach this matter even more radically, to abstract more strongly” and to “move away from the norm and show that this vision works”, explained Schweizer.

This vision is to be further clarified next January during a presentation, about which the brothers have yet to reveal anything. The only thing that was clear was that this time it would not be a show like in Berlin. It was also not yet certain where this event would take place. While they were grateful for the logistical framework that the organisers of Berlin Fashion Week had created, they were not sure whether it was the right one for their own brand.

After the appearance in the German capital, there had already been interest from international events such as the Italian furniture fair Salone del Mobile Milano. Creative director Johannes Schweizer explained that, behind the scenes, OBS was already working on the topic of furniture and living, regardless of the event.

A pop-up tour with workshops and insights into the OBS workshop is also planned, and will stop in several German cities. This isn't as obvious as it might seem, because the brand was not currently represented by any German retailers. Globally, the brand can be found at seven retail partners; five in Asia, one in Copenhagen and one in New York.

International course

OBS had already been internationally oriented since its launch. As early as 2019, the brand presented its first collection in a showroom in Paris, where it will return in the coming January. In addition, the founders are in talks with a new sales agency from Japan, which intends to drive expansion and host showrooms around the world. The Asian market and Northern Europe were at the top of the list for OBS.

In these regions, the vision and the product are immediately understood and no more persuasion was needed, explained Matthias Schweizer. “In the Western world, if you look at the US, many trend-based, loud products are still the focus.”

The concept also plays an important role in the collaboration with retail partners. A brand installation in the store will be a prerequisite in the future in order to “push world-building and this physical experience”.

This also clearly demonstrates that OBS is an independent brand that isn't being pushed in any direction by the interests of investors. The brothers, who to date are only supported by their school friend Salim Jakoub Ibrahim, seem to be on the right track.

Due to the expanded production volume, turnover increased by 30 percent year-over-year in 2024, alongside an uptick in profit. “If we look at the first quarter now, it looks like we can maintain this trend,” said Matthias Schweizer.

“We are here to stay,” added his brother. “We don't want to build something trend-based and fast, but rather a solid foundation that will last for a long time. Everything happens step by step.”