Apropos

Apropos was founded in 1997 in Cologne by Andreas Mertin as a multi-brand luxury concept store that became one of the defining post-2000 German luxury retail operations, operating from flagship locations in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg that anchor the brand's broader German luxury retail presence. The Apropos premise—that German luxury customers wanted access to a deeply curated selection of European and American designer brands beyond what the broader German department store ecosystem was delivering—proved out commercially through the 2000s. The Apropos vocabulary built up around an exceptional luxury and contemporary designer pipeline: Maison Margiela, Comme des Garçons, Sacai, Acne Studios, JW Anderson, Lemaire, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, plus the broader European luxury and avant-garde pipeline. The store's curatorial discipline—deep inventory on avant-garde Italian and European brands, ongoing seasonal programming—built a customer base that treats Apropos as one of the defining German luxury retail reference points. Apropos operates from its Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg flagships plus a robust e-commerce platform that distributes globally. The store's customer base—heavily skewed toward German design-industry and creative-class professionals plus the broader European luxury collector community—treats Apropos as one of the defining post-2000 German luxury retail anchors. For Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and broader German customers building a curated luxury wardrobe through the post-2000 era, Apropos has been one of the defining retail destinations alongside Andreas Murkudis, The Corner Berlin, and the broader German curated luxury retail network.