Art and Fashion:

Art has been an important element of corporate and brand communication at Ahlers AG for many years.

The art collection of Ahlers AG comprises world-class pieces of art. The possibility to offer their customers art events gives Ahlers AG a customer retention tool that is unique in the fashion industry. It is an obvious decision to initiate a positive image transfer to the Ahlers products. This will further improve the image and the visibility of Ahlers AG and its brands. The art collection is predominantly comprised of works by such high-profile expressionists as Alexej von Jawlensky and Emil Nolde as well as contemporary artists with focus on Yves Klein. In addition, Ahlers AG consider their art collection to be a sound investment. Price trends seen in the art market in recent years show that the potential sales proceeds would exceed the original purchase prices by a considerable margin.

But how are art and fashion related? Why should a fashion company own an art collection?

Art and fashion both revolve around the notion of creativity. Both sharpen the eye and stimulate the senses. Furthermore, the exquisite art owned by Ahlers AG reflects favourably on the fashions produced and marketed by the Group. Ahlers essentially uses art as a communication medium and as an instrument for high-profile events and PR activities.

The retailers of Ahlers AG also benefit from our first-class art collection, which allows them to entertain their customers in a classy environment. The idea is to use those events to enhance the image of retailers, who are Ahlers AG's primary customers. Events staged during the year included 3-4 week long exhibitions of contemporary works by Yves Klein and works by Chinese artists at renowned fashion retailers in Munich and Waldkirchen. The response from the public was enormous, resulting in an image boost for the local retailers and, by extension, for Ahlers fashions. Ahlers AG will continue to stage such events as an exclusive customer loyalty tool. In addition, our affiliation with the art world elevates public awareness of our company.

In this context mention should also be made of the activities of our Hannover-based arts foundation, Stiftung Ahlers Pro Arte.