Our Story
We are a family business. That’s not just a fact, it’s our philosophy. We only work with people we trust and like. And we are very proud of our growing crew – around 400 amazing individuals in total, working at our headquarters in Hamburg and our shops and showrooms all over Germany, Europe and the USA.
Together with friends. Now and forever.
11342
Case Number
1978
Closed
Our Owners: Friends & Partners
Til Nadler. Gordon Giers. Hans Redlefsen.
Three men, one decision: to only work with people they like. This spirit has shaped their philosophy since the start. And guarantees their clear vision. Then and now. As business partners, owners and friends.
After studying business in London and sharing a home together for a while, each initially went his own way. Gordon Giers to Florence, Til Nadler to Milan, Hans Redlefsen to Hamburg. Yet the idea of collaborating someday remained. Today, they manage every department at Closed, complementing each other extremely well: Gordon Giers is responsible for design and marketing, while Til Nadler manages distribution and Hans Redlefsen oversees the company’s finances. As a team, they’ve established a dynamic vision of the company: to always create sophisticated, high-quality designs – and to make every stage of the production process as sustainable as possible. Together with friends. Now and forever.
11342
Case Number
1978
Closed
Our Roots: Denim
1978 – 2013
The idea was simple and smart: to launch Italy’s first denim label. That was it. C’est ça. 'ÇA' for short. A fitting name for a brand that was to be a standard-bearer for effortless sportswear and radical design. French fashion designers Marithé and François Girbaud established ÇA – now Closed – with absolute confidence. Way back in 1968.
Trouble wasn’t far away. A large textile chain was not particularly happy with their choice of name. An objection was filed under case number 11342. ÇA had to be renamed. Why not just use this number as the brand name? So they did.
Two years later, in 1978, the case was CLOSED. And the name stayed. Since the beginning, Closed has remained a company with strong ties to its heritage. Striving for innovation decade after decade. Always setting new standards. Founded by Marithé and François Girbaud. Sold to Hamburg-based business partners Hans Leplow and Günther Giers at the start of the nineties. Taken over in 2009 by Giers' son Gordon and his friends Til Nadler and Hans Redlefsen.
1978 – 2013
French imagination.
Italian craftsmanship.
German tradition.
Our Commitment: Yesterday and Today
French imagination. Italian craftsmanship. German tradition. These influences are carried within our products. All over the world. And they shape us. As a company. As a brand. As a family business. To forge new paths, without losing our way. Always following an aesthetic, high-quality approach.
Our Signature:
The X-Pocket
Our X-pockets have been around for more than 40 years. And they’re here to stay! Designed in 1978 for our Pedal Pusher Denim, they allow easier access to the front pocket. Angled at 33 degrees, they create the eponymous X-shape. They continue to inspire our design team, which created a whole little X-Family with these signature pockets.
PS: There are even more ways to instantly identify an authentic pair of Closed jeans: The fly label for example – hand-sewn on the fly by experts. Or the scissors print of our Pedal Pusher Denim. Oh, and the triple stitching we use on the Pedal Pusher’s outer side seams.
33°
epynomous X-shape
1978
Designed in
