Retail

“I hope that if you’re wearing pieces from my collection you feel beautiful, sensual, strong and sure of yourself,” says Saskia Diez, whose minimalist shop between Isar and Westermühlbach was designed by her former husband, the well-known product and furniture designer Stefan Diez. Saskia’s range includes everything from weekend bags to pairs of sunglasses, although it’s her subtle yet expressive jewellery, which is handmade from responsibly sourced materials, that takes centre stage. “Jewellery is always a gift – a gift from someone or a gift for yourself – so it’s connected to love,” she says, wearing her signature Wire rings, Star ear cuff and Barbelle choker.

Benedikt Gropper was managing a shop that sold ski-wear when he ran into problems trying to redecorate his apartment. “What annoyed me was that you could never try out home accessories where they belong: at home,” he says. So he changed all that. Since 2014, Gropper’s customers have been able to take pillows, candleholders and blankets home on trial. His shop offers everything to make life more comfortable: sofas, lamps and even velvet stools from his own collection. Gropper also designs glass vases, which are hand-blown in Bavaria.

The collections at A Kind of Guise (Akog) are just as charismatic as the couple behind the brand. Yasar Ceviker and Susi Streich met at Munich’s Academy of Fashion and Design before launching their “Made in Germany” label, under which everything is created locally using quality fabrics sourced from around the world. The shop itself is as clean and cosy as the clothes on the racks, which include everything from denim jeans handmade in Germany to reversible blouson jackets, as well as sleek and timeless womenswear items and various vegetable-tanned leather accessories. Thanks to Akog’s pioneering spirit, other Munich-based brands have since joined the “Made in Germany” movement. 

There’s no place like Lodenfrey. Located in a 20th-century house with an arched colonnade, this department store in the heart of the old town is the antidote to e-commerce. You’ll find six floors dedicated to exclusive women’s and menswear collections – big on international designers such as Armani, Brunello Cucinelli, Akris and Ermenegildo Zegna – as well as tailor-made clothing and the city’s best selection of traditional Tracht. There’s an extensive children’s selection here too. 

“It all began with the traditional Bavarian shoe, the Haferlschuh, which also led to our brand name,” says Achim Wünsch, founder of the Munich shoe label Halfs. Wünsch’s main design is modelled on the 19th-century alpine hunting boot and is characterised by a toecap that resembles a ship’s bow.  The brand carries 50 styles, including long-lasting Chelsea boots. “I’m proud to see that a number of my customers wear their Halfs for a decade or longer,” says Wünsch.