Tradition, quality, and attention to detail define Hans Frauenschuh GmbH in Kitzbühel. Matthäus Stern and Elisabeth Frauenschuh run the family business with passion and dedication – from chamois-tanned deerskin to handcrafted dirndls.
Zeitlose Handwerkskunst aus Kitzbühel
For more than seventy years, the name Hans Frauenschuh has stood for craftsmanship deeply rooted in the Kitzbühel region. Today, 31-year-old Matthäus Stern runs the family business together with his aunt, Elisabeth Frauenschuh, carrying the tradition into its third generation. The foundations were laid by the grandparents in the late 1940s – at that time still as a pure tannery, with neither showroom nor display window. Craftsmanship was at the center, and a love of materials was its very heart. It was only in the late 1950s that a small shop, hardly larger than a family kitchen, opened its doors, where Anna Frauenschuh offered the very first leather goods.
Vom Jus-Studenten zum Lederexpertenen
Matthäus Stern is not a trained tanner, and yet the craft has become second nature to him. He studied law, nearly completing his degree, before gradually working his way into the family business. Today, he is responsible for logistics, purchasing, and quality control of the hides – above all the chamois-tanned deerskin, the manufactory’s main material. From it are made, among other things, the famous leather trousers.
Dirndl – ein Herzensprojekt
A special chapter in the collection is dedicated to the dirndls – the personal passion project of Elisabeth Frauenschuh. A unique cut was created for her, combining tradition with a clear, timeless line. The fabrics are selected with great care – sourced predominantly from Austrian weaving mills, complemented by special qualities from Belgium and America to add refined accents. Each piece is crafted entirely by hand in Austria, in small workshops that still preserve this craft in its original form.
Mehr als Mode
Over the decades, the collection has grown – just like the business itself. Since the time of the pandemic, furniture has also become part of it, personally overseen by Matthäus Stern. Yet the guiding idea has remained the same: to create clothing and pieces that endure for generations. Matthäus calls it ‘timeless elegance’ – quality that never fades, and craftsmanship that tells stories.
Kitzbühel in Three Words
Matthäus describes Kitzbühel in three words: classic, cosmopolitan, beautiful nature. A blend that is also reflected in the products – grounded yet worldly, traditional yet open to the new.
Die Kitzbühel Formel
Alpine lifestyle and idyllic nature, rustic tradition and modern spirit: few towns unite such contrasts as masterfully as Kitzbühel. Known worldwide as the sports capital of the Alps thanks to the legendary Hahnenkamm races, this is only one facet of the Kitzbühel myth. What truly defines its uniqueness is the incomparable charm of the region – with Kitzbühel, Reith, Aurach, and Jochberg – its excellent infrastructure with top-class hotels and gastronomy, the wealth of sporting opportunities, and the captivating landscape.
