MCM, the story of suitcase king Michael Cromer
Story
Michael Cromer
MCM , a brand with a moving history. In 1972, Michael Cromer and his wife Mara opened a hair salon on Kürfürstenstrasse in Munich Schwabingen. Cromer worked as an occasional actor, which gave him good contacts with Munich's celebrities. This meant that his salon was visited by numerous celebrities.
He designed a logo for the salon shortly after it opened. The logo consisted of the letters "MCM", a laurel wreath and a double bow. MCM originally stood for "Modern Coiffure Munich", but Cromer later changed the name. In 1972 he designed a series of white cosmetic bags with the MCM logo for his salon customers. During a visit to Rome he noticed that hotel guests with Louis Vuitton suitcases were given preferential treatment. This inspired Cromer to design suitcases and bags . In 1975 he developed a prototype in collaboration with an Upper Bavarian suitcase manufacturer. This consisted of black plasticized linen with a white MCM logo . However, it did not correspond to Cromer's ideas. Over time, the black plasticized linen became a cognac-colored suitcase , bag and accessories collection. His suitcases and bags were made of an imitation pigskin that he called Visetos . The logo is dark brown and the corners and edges were covered in leather. The closure consisted of a shiny brass lock.
At first, his suitcases and bags were only available to buy in the salon. In September 1976, Cromer's first celebrity customer bought bags and suitcases from MCM . With this purchase, MCM entered the international jet set.
To differentiate himself from the salon, he founded " Modern Creation Münchner Reise Gepäck GmbH ". Thanks to his good network in Munich's elite, demand for Cromer's bags and suitcases rose quickly. He was not afraid to advise his celebrity customers himself. This helped the company to quickly increase sales. He saw himself as the German answer to the French fashion house Louis Vuitton. Cromer was the king of the party, friend of the celebrities and the guy with the crazy cars. He was the German bag king .
In April 1998, Cromer came under the scrutiny of the tax authorities. The tax authorities received an anonymous letter. According to this, Cromer had embezzled more than 40 million euros in taxes. Shortly after receiving the letter, he fled to Switzerland. This led to loan negotiations with his bank failing and Cromer being unable to pay his bills. In 2000, he was sentenced to two years' probation for tax evasion and returned to Germany.
His bank sold the trademark rights to a Swiss holding group. Cromer tried to use his private assets to fight the sale. However, he lost the fight. He never got over the loss of his life's work. In 2007, Cromer died in Straßlach, a town south of Munich, where he lived in a terraced house with his wife Mara.
MCM has been sold several times in recent years. Most recently, Korean Sung-Joo Kim bought MCM. She moved the company's headquarters to Zurich and helped the brand regain its glory .
The beginning of a new MCM era
After Sung-Joo Kim took over, a lot changed at MCM . She studied the balance sheets and books, made difficult decisions and closed over 100 stores. Her goal was to rehabilitate the brand and reposition it on the international market.
Sung-Joo Kim
But who is Sung-Joo Kim ? The Korean-born actress definitely didn't have an easy childhood. She lost her brother and her fortune at a young age. Sung-Joo Kim came from a wealthy family. Her father was very successful in the South Korean industry. However, she was disinherited after marrying her husband because her parents did not consent to it.
After studying in London and Harvard, Sung-Joo Kim worked for large companies in the luxury industry. In the 1980s, she worked for Bloomingdale's in New York and in the 1990s for Gucci , where she acquired the Gucci license for Asia. There they built a strong business that helped her become part of the Italian strategy team.
By purchasing MCM , she wanted to prove to herself that she could stand on her own two feet. When Sung-Joo Kim acquired the brand in 2005, it was practically on the verge of collapse. She managed to put MCM back on the international market with a sophisticated plan. Even then, she had big goals.
Today she sells MCM from her hotel room or airplane. Sung-Joo Kim travels a lot around the world. She sells her bags , suitcases and accessories through all distribution channels. MCM can be bought in over 35 countries worldwide, from over 400 distribution partners and in around 130 of her own stores.
Sung-Joo Kim built a foundation in which 10% of her profits are donated to charitable organizations.
The former bag king Michael Cromer became a bag queen . There is hardly anything left to remind you of Cromer on today's website.
MCM's design
Sung-Joo Kim kept Cromer's original design. Since the original target group was too "old", she focused on the younger generations. Her goal was to appeal to the younger generations. In 2005, she brought the German Michael Michalsky on board as creative director. He stayed until 2013 and is still active in an advisory capacity today. They changed the design and adapted it to the younger generations. The bags and backpacks were decorated with rivets or made in bright colors .
From 2013 to 2016, the Swiss Adrian Josef Margelist worked as creative director for MCM . In 2016, he moved to Liebeskind Berlin. Dirk Schönberger has been creative director at MCM since 2018.
MCM regularly collaborates with celebrities as guest designers; they design bags , backpacks or accessories for MCM. Guest designers include the singer will.i.am and the Berlin gallery owner Johann König .
Vintage and used MCM bags
Today, MCM is one of the most successful brands in the luxury segment worldwide. The bags and backpacks in particular are becoming increasingly popular. With prices continuing to rise, buying a vintage or used MCM bag has many advantages.
The vintage or used MCM bags are not only a cheaper alternative to the new bags , but they also have their own special charm. The unique shopping experience in our boutique is the icing on the cake. Here you will not only find the classic models, but also unusual bags , backpacks and travel bags from past collections.
If you are looking for an MCM bag, you will definitely find it here. In Cologne we are one of the few boutiques that sell MCM . We look forward to your visit!
