German fashion design house established in 1923. The company initially made worker’s clothes, and later, during the war, uniforms. After the war, the company moved into men’s suits and then womenswear. Hugo Boss died in 1948; his involvement with the Nazi party and possible corporate use of slave labor during the war created some controversy in the late 1990s. In 1999, the company agreed to pay funds to compensate former forced workers.
Current brands include Boss, Boss Black, Boss Selection, Boss Orange and Hugo. The Baldessarini brand name was sold in 2006, but Hugo Boss retains control of the fragrance license; after 2011 the fragrances are made under licensing arrangements with Mäurer & Wirtz.
Fragrances were introduced in the 1980s with Hugo Boss Number One. Other well-known scents include Boss Elements (men, 1993), Hugo (men, 1995), Hugo Woman (1997), Boss Bottled (1998), Hugo Dark Blue (men, 1999), Hugo Deep Red (women, 2001), Baldessarini (men, 2002), Boss in Motion (men, 2002), Boss Intense (women, 2003). Fragrances are produced under licensing arrangements with Procter & Gamble.
Recent fragrances from Hugo Boss
2005: Selection, Baldessarini Del Mar, Energise
2006: Pure Purple, Boss Selection, Boss Motion in Black, Boss Femme
2007: Baldessarini Ambre, Hugo by Hugo Boss Limited Art Edition, Baldessarini Del Mar Caribbean, Essence de Femme, Boss in Motion IV, Hugo XX & XY
2008: Boss Pure, Baldessarini Del Mar Marbella, Baldessarini Strictly Private
2009: Hugo Element, Femme l’eau fraîche by Boss, Baldessarini Del Mar Seychelles, Hugo XX & XY Summer Editions, Boss in Motion White Edition, Boss Orange for Women
2010: Boss Bottled Night
2011: Boss Orange for Men, Boss The Collection, Baldessarini Private Affairs, Boss in Motion Made For Summer, Just Different
2012: Boss Bottled Sport
Where to buy
At department stores and online fragrance discounters. Some of the Hugo Boss scents are not formally distributed in the US.
Website
Further reading
See all articles on Now Smell This tagged Hugo Boss.
