What Raffaello Rossi does

Raffaello Rossi is a German family-owned premium women's apparel brand founded in 1996 by Ralf Schellenberger and Brigitte Schellenberger, operating through the legal entity Schera GmbH and headquartered in Großwallstadt, Germany. The brand specializes in premium women's pants — trousers, joggpants, and jeans — supplemented by dresses, skirts, and shirts, with the Mayla collection positioned as the signature bestseller. Production is concentrated primarily in Romania through long-term European partners (some 25+ year relationships), and 90% of fabrics are sourced from Europe. The company employs approximately 110–120 staff.

The company operates a dual-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via raffaello-rossi.de (Germany/EU) and raffaellorossi.us (United States), alongside a B2B wholesale network. The B2B channel is served by appointed agents, physical showrooms in 15+ markets across Europe, North America, Australia, and the Middle East, a dedicated multilingual B2B portal at b2b.raffaello-rossi.de (German, English, French), and trade show participation at Coterie New York, Brand Assembly Los Angeles, and Dallas Market Center. The brand is positioned at the premium tier; the €200 free-shipping threshold implies average DTC order values at or above that level, with standard German shipping at €4.95 and free return shipping on partial returns.

Raffaello Rossi's differentiation rests on fit precision, premium European fabrics, and sustainability credentials — including Better Cotton Initiative membership since 2021 (the 50% Better Cotton sourcing target for 2026 was reached in 2022), OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified components, TENCEL Lyocell fibers, climate-neutral DHL GoGreen shipping, and operational projects such as the Grow Back reforestation initiative in Portugal (12,000+ plants). The company is undergoing a second-generation leadership transition, with founders' sons David and Tobias Schellenberger joining Ralf Schellenberger as Geschäftsführer (managing directors) in 2017. Consumer marketing emphasizes community engagement on Instagram (@raffaellorossi_official) under the #empoweryourself campaign, an email newsletter offering a 10% first-purchase discount, and recurring editorial placements in German and international fashion press.

Name

Raffaello Rossi

Legal name

Schera GmbH

Website

https://raffaello-rossi.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Raffaello Rossi is a German family-owned premium women's apparel brand founded in 1996 and headquartered in Großwallstadt. It designs and sells premium pants, joggpants, jeans, dresses, skirts, and shirts via DTC e-commerce and an international B2B wholesale showroom network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Women's Apparel

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Apparel Manufacturing (315), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (315250)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Dresses, Skirts & Tailored Apparel Cut & Sew (Suits/Formalwear) (IMAOAEAF)

Keywords

• Premium women's pants
• Women's apparel
• Sustainable fashion
• Fashion e-commerce
• European manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Großwallstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Online Sales: Raffaello Rossi sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce website (raffaello-rossi.de), with a separate US online shop (raffaellorossi.us). Consumers can purchase pants across categories including Hosen (trousers), Joggpants, Jeans, Kleider & Röcke (dresses & skirts), and Shirts.
2. B2B Wholesale: Wholesale distribution to premium boutiques, department stores, and retail partners internationally through showrooms, appointed agents, and a B2B e-commerce portal (b2b.raffaello-rossi.de). The brand has established distribution across Europe, North America, Australia, and other markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Raffaello Rossi designs, manufactures, and sells premium women's apparel centered on trousers and pants, complemented by joggpants, jeans, dresses & skirts, and shirts. The brand, founded in 1996, produces primarily in Romania under European social standards and distributes through its own DTC e-commerce sites (raffaello-rossi.de, raffaellorossi.us), a B2B wholesale portal, an international showroom/agent network, and selected premium boutiques and department stores.

Product overview

Raffaello Rossi is a premium women's pants brand founded in 1996, specializing in high-quality women's trousers with perfect fit and first-class quality. The brand operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with both B2C (retail) and B2B (wholesale) channels. The core product portfolio centers on Premium Damenhosen (women's pants), supplemented by Joggpants (jog pants), Jeans, Kleider & Röcke (dresses & skirts), and Shirts. The brand's flagship is the Mayla collection, positioned as the signature bestseller. A separate B2B Online Shop enables wholesale partners to place orders. All products are manufactured primarily in Europe (Romania) with a strong focus on sustainability, including Better Cotton Initiative membership and ÖKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Damenhosen (Premium Women's Pants) The brand's signature product line of premium women's trousers offering perfect fit and first-class quality, targeted at fashion-conscious women for everyday, professional, and special-occasion wear.
• Joggpants

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 50% Better Cotton sourcing target already in 2022, ahead of the 2026 goal
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Better Cotton InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Raffaello Rossi is a proud member of the Better Cotton Initiative since 2021, committed to supporting more sustainable cotton farming globally. The company pledged to source at least 50% of its cotton as Better Cotton by 2026 — a target already achieved in 2022. Better Cotton is procured through a mass balance system and is not physically traceable to the end product.
• OEKO-TEX AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaffaello Rossi uses OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified materials, including buttons, zippers, rivets, and all other accessories. This certification ensures all components of each garment have been tested for harmful substances and are safe for human health.
• TENCEL™ (Lenzing AG)coreTechnology or IntegrationRaffaello Rossi uses TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers in its collection. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are produced in a resource-efficient, closed-loop production process with solvent recovery, as noted on the brand's Openness sustainability page.
• European Production PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProduction primarily in Romania with long-term production partners operating under European social standards including fair wages, regulated working hours, social insurance, and occupational safety. The brand has maintained some production relationships for over 25 years. A dedicated staff member is stationed locally at production facilities, and regular visits by employees ensure compliance with the jointly signed Code of Conduct.
• Pink Ribbon DeutschlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaffaello Rossi is a proud supporter of Pink Ribbon Deutschland, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for breast cancer prevention and early detection. As a women's pants manufacturer focused on femininity and women's empowerment, supporting breast cancer awareness aligns with the brand's values.
• OneDayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaffaello Rossi supports OneDay, an organization operating projects in Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Namibia to help girls and young women who are victims of violence. OneDay provides medical care, psychological support, and rehabilitation for underage survivors of sexual abuse. Raffaello Rossi contributes a fixed monthly amount to support this work, aligning with the brand's #empoweryourself philosophy of empowering women and girls.
• Grow Back (Portugal Reforestation Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grow Back project is a reforestation initiative in one of the driest regions of Portugal. The project has planted over 12,000 plants including willows, grapes, figs, poplars, ashes, oaks, olives, and citrus fruits using syntropic agriculture — where all plants harmonize and support each other's growth without fertilizers, pesticides, or irrigation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Armedangels: German sustainable premium apparel brand with comparable Better Cotton / GOTS credentials, European production, and DACH-centric wholesale plus DTC distribution; competes for the same sustainability-conscious premium women's customer.
• Marc O'Polo: Premium European casual brand with a strong women's bottoms and lifestyle assortment; comparable in premium positioning, multi-channel wholesale + DTC model, and European production emphasis.
• Luisa Spagnoli: Italian heritage premium women's apparel house with a strong trousers and knitwear assortment; comparable as a family-rooted European premium women's brand selling through boutiques and own stores with a similar fit/quality narrative.
• Gerry Weber: German premium women's apparel group with strong department store and own-retail presence in Europe; comparable as a DACH-rooted mid-premium women's apparel brand competing for similar boutique and department-store shelf space as Raffaello Rossi.
• Betty Barclay: German premium women's apparel brand with overlapping mid-to-premium price positioning and multi-channel (DTC + wholesale) distribution across Europe; directly comparable as a DACH-rooted women's apparel house selling through boutiques and department stores.
• MAC Jeans: German premium denim and bottoms specialist with a similar fit-led, Europe-made value proposition; competes for the same women's premium pants/jeans customer through wholesale and DTC.
• Closed (Closed Jeans): European premium denim and casual bottoms brand with strong fit positioning and premium boutique wholesale distribution; comparable as a premium European-made bottoms specialist.

Broad incumbents

• Liu Jo: Italian premium women's apparel brand with multi-category bottoms-heavy assortment and international department-store distribution; comparable in premium positioning and wholesale-driven European model, though at a larger scale.
• Hugo Boss: German premium apparel incumbent with significant women's bottoms and suiting assortment; comparable as a larger DACH-rooted premium apparel competitor sharing the same department-store and premium boutique channels.
• Escada: Established European luxury women's apparel house operating in the same premium boutiques and department stores that stock Raffaello Rossi; comparable as a broader incumbent competing for similar premium women's apparel real estate, though positioned at a higher price tier.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/raffaellorossi_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/RaffaelloRossi.fashion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scheragmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Raffaello Rossi