OLYMP marks 75 years, from shirt specialist to lifestyle brand

German menswear brand OLYMP is marking its 75th anniversary in 2026. The company, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen in Baden-Württemberg, started out producing shirts in a laundry room and has grown into an internationally recognised fashion business. Its range today spans shirts, jumpers, polo shirts, T-shirts, trousers, jackets and accessories, reflecting a shift from shirt specialist to a broader lifestyle brand.

From a laundry room to a family legacy

OLYMP was founded in 1951 by textile entrepreneur Eugen Bezner, who began producing men's shirts with a handful of employees, initially from military fabrics and parachute silk. He named the company after Mount Olympus, the mythological home of the gods, reflecting his ambition to lead the shirt market.

Bezner died suddenly in 1960, leaving the company to his 24-year-old son, Eberhard, who expanded it over the following decades and, from 1969, gradually relocated production abroad in response to a domestic shortage of skilled textile workers. Mark Bezner, Eberhard's son, joined the family business in 1990 and now leads it as owner and chief executive officer, representing the third generation to run OLYMP.

Product range expansion

Under Mark Bezner, OLYMP broadened its offer well beyond shirts. The mass-market brand Marvelis launched in 1994, followed by ties, polo shirts, T-shirts and a knitwear collection introduced through the 2010 acquisition of knitwear specialist Maerz Muenchen, now run by Mark Bezner's son Louis. OLYMP became market leader for men's shirts in Germany in 2007, according to figures from the Nuremberg Society for Consumer Research, and has since become one of Europe's leading shirt brands.

The company has continued to widen its total look ambitions in recent years, adding trousers in 2024 and outerwear in autumn 2025. In 2026, OLYMP secured the rights to shirt and blouse brand Eterna.

Logistics, digital and sustainability moves

OLYMP commissioned its automated logistics centre in 2013, an investment of around 45 million euros and, according to the company, the world's largest facility of its kind, with capacity for close to four million garments. It launched direct online sales through its own webshop in 2016. On sustainability, OLYMP has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since 2021 and named professional yachtsman Boris Herrmann as its ambassador for responsibility in 2022. Actor Gerard Butler served as brand ambassador from 2020, a role that Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey took over in 2025.

OLYMP today

OLYMP describes itself as the market leader for men's shirts in Germany and one of Europe's best-selling shirt brands, with a presence in more than 40 countries and around 3,000 points of sale across Europe. The company operates more than 50 of its own brand stores in Germany and Austria, alongside its core distribution through specialist clothing retailers. OLYMP reported turnover of around 200 million euros in 2025, with an export share of around 35 percent. Its key markets include Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and France.

Mark Bezner said: "It fills me with a huge amount of gratitude and pride to see what has been achieved over 75 years in an industry that will always remain challenging. I am deeply grateful to my grandfather and my father for what they have built up. Together with a fantastic OLYMP team, reliable retail and business partners, long-standing manufacturers and suppliers, and many loyal fans of the brand, we have successfully been able to grow the business further. This makes me feel all the more committed to managing this valuable family legacy soundly and responsibly, and to one day hand it over to the next generation in a stronger state than when I took it over."