Dorothee Schumacher was born in Dusseldorf and grew up in the German countryside. After initial work experience at an Italian knitwear manufacturer and several stays in France, she founded her own label in 1989 with a T-shirt collection. Apparent in this very first collection was to become her signature style: a fusion of an extraordinary sense of color, natural confidence, elegant friction and feminine sophistication. After just three years, Dorothee Schumacher extended her collections by adding knitwear, opening her first showroom in Dusseldorf in 1994, with showrooms in Paris and Milan soon to follow. At the same time, she successfully expanded to Italy.
In 1998, Dorothee Schumacher laid the foundation for her headquarters in the industrial port of Mannheim, transforming a former cardboard factory into a stunning two-story loft. Her collections now include ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessories for women. Today, the mother of four children and cosmopolite operates 10 independent stores and pop-ups in cities including Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf as well as Warsaw and Madrid. Her collections are sold in 46 countries worldwide through more than 600 doors, including boutiques and department stores, with online shipping to 49 countries.
In 2014, the designer personalized her label further, rebranding SCHUMACHER to DOROTHEE SCHUMACHER. Her son, Maximilian Singhoff stepped up to the role as second CEO in 2017. In 2019, the brand celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the U.S. as its second strongest market. The heightened presence in the U.S., with a dedicated showroom opening in New York City a year later, also marks an important milestone for the brand’s further internationalization. Today, Dorothee Schumacher’s team has grown to 180 employees from more than 16 countries. Her intuitive understanding of and respect for femininity is continually visible throughout her collections. The concept of wardrobe thinking and wearability are at the core of her designs.