Tradition
or how we became who we are
with passion since 1880
Over 140 years of company history, spanning five generations. A lot has happened since Valentin Fraas founded the company. Today, Alexander and Andreas Schmidt are the faces of this long tradition, leading the company as the fifth generation of the family.
Wüstenselbitz looks back on a 200-year tradition in the textile industry
Even before industrialization, weavers were producing textiles here on handlooms. This knowledge was refined and passed down over the centuries. While the company started with just ten employees, through hard work we grew to about 100 employees by the turn of the century and quickly expanded beyond our Franconian home region.
In 1982, we continued to grow into an international manufacturer: we established branches in New York, Toronto, London, and Hong Kong. Sales offices in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Japan, and Korea followed later. This is because we recognized something crucial: tradition can only survive if new knowledge is incorporated and if one never closes the door to the new.
5th Generation
The thirst for knowledge and love of travel shared by the two managing directors, Alexander and Andreas, found an ideal breeding ground within the international company. As a result, the global network was expanded to include South America and Australia, for example. In 2005, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary. The following year, the company’s own brand, FRAAS – The Scarf Company, was launched, and the launch of the new website fraas.com, featuring an online store, was on the agenda.
Today, we focus on the perfect blend of proven quality standards, trends, sustainability, and fresh ideas. Whether it’s snowing, raining, or sunny, we aim to offer the perfect accessory for any weather. Since 2023, we’ve been a licensed partner of the global brand bugatti Scarves & Headwear MEN, and in the summer of 2024, we acquired the hat brand LOEVENICH. With this partnership, which is geared toward multi-seasonal offerings, we’re expanding our women’s portfolio to include sun hats, straw hats, visors, event hats, baseball caps, rain hats, and bags. We’re entering into an exclusive distribution partnership for Europe with Shedrain, the leading umbrella supplier in the U.S., taking another step toward building a broader and more robust product portfolio for the future.
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