Forster Rohner

What Forster Rohner does

Forster Rohner AG is a Swiss, family-owned textile manufacturer founded in 1904 (as Forster Willi & Co.) by Conrad Forster-Willi and now in its fourth generation of family control under Co-CEOs Caroline and Emanuel Forster. Headquartered at Flurhofstrasse 150, St. Gallen, the company specializes in high-end embroidery — particularly guipure lace and sequin work — supplying haute couture houses in Paris, Milan, and New York with whom it has maintained direct relationships since 1936. The company's craftsmanship gained global visibility through the 2008 Miuccia Prada 'Volute' guipure series, which triggered a worldwide boom in guipure embroidery, and through Michelle Obama wearing a Forster Rohner woolen guipure piece at the 2009 US Presidential Inauguration. The firm also produces the patented Climatex sustainable textile (1992) and operates Forster Rohner Textile Innovations, an electronic textiles unit that patented conductive yarns in 2011 as the basis for light textiles and textile sensor products.

The business generates revenue through three streams: (i) direct B2B sales of custom embroidery products to luxury fashion houses, (ii) international licensing royalties via licensees in Argentina (since 1968), Brazil, Japan, and Mexico, and (iii) electronic textile sales through Forster Rohner Textile Innovations to industrial and technical customers. Manufacturing is vertically integrated across wholly owned facilities in Switzerland, China (Forster Rohner Suzhou Embroidery Co., Ltd., 1994; Suzhou Embroidery Dyeing, 2000), Romania (Lugoj, via the 2001 Inter-Spitzen AG acquisition), and Bosnia-Herzegovina (Forster Rohner Ilidža d.o.o., 2017). The corporate group further includes acquired brands Jakob Schlaepfer AG (2016) and Inter-Spitzen AG (2001), as well as sub-brands Forster Willi and Forster Rohner Lingerie.

Forster Rohner holds registered patents on Climatex (1992) and conductive yarns (2011), and operates under an inbound license for the 1983 Ochsner sequin patent acquired alongside Sequins International. The company has been recognized with the 'Créateur de l'année' honor from the Mayor of Paris (2006, awarded to Tobias Forster) and the Imagination Prize from Première Vision Paris (2011). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue figures are not released, and the firm remains wholly family-owned without external institutional investors.

Name

Forster Rohner

Legal name

Forster Rohner AG

Website

https://forsterrohner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forster Rohner AG is a 120-year-old Swiss family-owned textile manufacturer specializing in haute couture embroidery (guipure, sequins) and patented conductive yarns for electronic textiles, serving luxury fashion houses in Paris, Milan, and New York through manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, China, Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical and Embroidered Textiles

NAICS

Narrow Fabric Mills and Schiffli Machine Embroidery (31322), All Other Textile Product Mills (31499)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Textile Mill Products (2200)

akta.pro primary industry

Threads, Yarns & Sewing Notions (Sewing Thread/Embroidery Thread/Bobbins/Needles) (IMAOALAE)

Keywords

• Technical textiles
• Embroidery manufacturing
• Haute couture fabrics
• Electronic textiles
• Conductive yarns

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Luxury Fashion Embroidery Products: Custom embroidery products and fabrics sold directly to haute couture fashion houses and luxury brands. Revenue is generated through direct B2B relationships with premium fashion clients in Paris, Milan, and New York.
2. Licensing Royalties: International licensing arrangements allowing other manufacturers to produce and sell Forster Rohner-designed embroidery patterns and products. First licensee established in Argentina (1968), followed by Brazil, Japan, and Mexico.
3. Electronic Textiles: Forster Rohner Textile Innovations develops and produces electronic textiles for diverse markets ranging from industry to fashion, utilizing proprietary conductive yarn technology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Forster Rohner AG manufactures and sells high-end embroidered textiles, including guipure lace, sequin embroideries, and specialty fabrics, directly to haute couture fashion houses. Through its Forster Rohner Textile Innovations division, it also develops and produces electronic textiles built on proprietary patented conductive yarns for industrial and fashion applications. The company operates manufacturing facilities across Switzerland, China, Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and licenses its designs internationally.

Product overview

Forster Rohner AG operates as the parent entity of the Forster Group, a diversified textile conglomerate comprising multiple specialized divisions and brands. The company offers a portfolio of products including high-quality embroidery (Forster Willi), lace and spunlace (Inter-Spitzen AG), lingerie (Forster Rohner Lingerie), and innovative electronic textiles (Forster Rohner Textile Innovations). The company is historically renowned for its sequin and guipure embroidery expertise, holds patents for conductive yarns enabling textile sensor technology, and pioneered the Climatex environmentally-compatible textile in 1992. Operations span manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, China, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Romania, serving haute couture houses globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forster Rohner Lingerie: Lingerie brand under the Forster Rohner group
• Forster Willi
• Forster Rohner Textile Innovations
• Climatex

Products and services

• Guipure Embroideries Signature guipure lace and embroidery products supplied to luxury fashion houses; specialty technique that drove an unprecedented boom in the global embroidery industry.
• Sequin Embroideries (Pailletten) Sequin and pailletten embroidery products manufactured under the Pailletten patent acquired from Ochsner, supporting luxury embellishment applications.
• Forster Rohner Textile Innovations (Electronic Textiles) Business unit developing and producing electronic textiles for industry and fashion, including conductive yarns (patented 2011), light textiles, and textile sensor technology.
• Conductive Yarns Patented conductive yarn technology enabling light textiles and textile sensor applications across industrial and fashion markets.
• Climatex Sustainable Textile Patent-protected environmentally-compatible textile product pioneered in 1992, establishing an early era of sustainable upholstery and fashion textiles.
• Forster Rohner Lingerie

Quantifiable outcome

• Created unprecedented boom in guipure embroidery industry following 2008 Prada collaboration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Jakob Schlaepfer AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Jakob Schlaepfer AG of St. Gallen became part of the Forster Group in 2016. The company had been a licensee of Forster Willi since 1983. This acquisition unified two major St. Gallen embroidery specialists under the Forster Group umbrella.
• Prada / Miuccia PradaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Miuccia Prada launched the famous Guipure series 'Volute' in 2008, creating an unprecedented boom in guipure embroidery that benefited the global stickerei (embroidery) industry. This collaboration established Forster Rohner's reputation as a premier guipure supplier.
• Inter-Spitzen AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Inter-Spitzen AG of St. Gallen and its subsidiary in Lugoj, Romania became part of Forster Rohner in 2001. Caroline Forster took over leadership of Inter-Spitzen AG, strengthening the company's lace and trim capabilities.
• Sequins InternationalcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1983Acquired by Forster Willi in 1983 along with the Pailletten patent from Ochsner. Located in New Jersey, USA, this acquisition secured the company's position in sequin manufacturing.
• Haute Couture Houses (Paris, Milan, New York)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1936Began regular collaboration with haute couture houses in Paris, Milan, and New York starting in 1936. These relationships have been maintained for nearly 90 years and form the core of the company's luxury fashion business.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dedar: Italian luxury textile producer offering decorative fabrics, trimmings, and wallcoverings to high-end interior and fashion markets. Comparable as a design-forward specialty textile supplier serving luxury clients globally.
• Rubelli: Venice-based luxury textile manufacturer producing fabrics for interior and fashion applications. Comparable as a heritage European textile house with similar couture and luxury clientele.

Direct peers

• Atelier Montex: Paris embroidery atelier owned by Chanel's Paraffection. Competes with Forster Rohner in supplying embroidery and decorative textiles to haute couture and luxury fashion clients.
• Mantero Seta: Italian silk and luxury textile manufacturer based in Como, supplying printed and jacquard fabrics to leading fashion houses. Comparable as a heritage European textile supplier to luxury brands.
• Lemarié: Paris-based couture featherwork and embroidery house owned by Chanel's Paraffection. Direct competitor in luxury embellishment services for haute couture, with similar heritage and Parisian customer base.
• Sophie Hallette: French lace manufacturer based in northern France, supplying lace and embroidered fabrics to luxury fashion houses. Comparable as a heritage European specialty textile producer serving couture clients.
• Lesage (Maison Lesage): Paris-based couture embroidery house, owned by Chanel's Paraffection subsidiary. Direct competitor in supplying haute couture embroidery to luxury fashion houses in Paris, Milan, and New York.

Others

• Jakob Schlaepfer AG: St. Gallen embroidery specialist that became part of the Forster Group in 2016. Functions as a sister company within the same group, sharing heritage and customer base but not a true independent peer.
• Première Vision: Paris-based textile trade show organizer that awarded Forster Rohner the Imagination Prize in 2011. Not a competitor but a key industry ecosystem player that channels buyer relationships for premium textile suppliers.

Regional players

• Jakob Schlaepfer AG (prior to 2016): Historical independent competitor in St. Gallen embroidery before being acquired into the Forster Group. Included to indicate the prior competitive landscape; as of 2016 it is no longer an independent peer.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forster-rohner-ag
• Facebookfacebook.com/forsterrohner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forster Rohner