Whether it’s an evening gown or a suit: at the Frühauf clothing store in Freystadt, Bavaria, entire wedding parties are often kitted out – and have been for almost 200 years. How do we know this, and what does it have to do with us?
We have previously worked with this long-established fashion house. Around ten years later, we were given the opportunity to give the Women’s Premium and Women’s Casual & Trend sections a fresh new look.
The Pirzer family, who run the business, embody this blend of tradition and contemporary style alongside the next generation – their daughter Stephanie Jechnerer. The location alone speaks for itself: on Freystadt’s historic market square, the family-run business Frühauf – which originally started out as a hunting outfitter – now sells trendy outfits from brands such as Marc O’Polo, Max Mara, Someday, Cambio and Barbour.
Incidentally, tailoring is still carried out at Frühauf to this day: in the in-house tailor’s workshop, ball gowns and the like are individually altered as required. The open-plan area connecting the individual floors of the fashion house offers a glimpse into the art of tailoring. A family business through and through, with its heart in the right place.
Our interior designer Lena Dünser was absolutely delighted with Freystadt from the very first visit. “It’s like a little oasis,” she enthuses about the medieval town, which captivates visitors with its city gates, picturesque colourful houses, cobbled streets and abundance of greenery. It’s the perfect inspiration for her design concept, which blends seamlessly into the overall look of the house.
As Frühauf places great emphasis on personalised advice, we paid particular attention to the design of the two large changing rooms: the changing areas are centrally located so that staff have a good view of the customers.
For the shelving system, which was designed and built in-house by KNOBLAUCH, we have focused primarily on airy, lightweight shelving units; in the premium section, we have also used ceiling-mounted rails in some areas, which leave the floor clear. Semi-transparent curtains in the shop windows pique curiosity about what’s on offer inside; numerous mirrors – including those in front of the changing rooms – allow customers to view their outfits from various angles.
All of this, of course, with a constant focus on the customer’s requirements:
A café area near the till completes the shopping experience – perfectly in line with the company’s philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on advice and service. “Customers know and appreciate this, and some even travel from far away,” says Lena. When you’ve not only found the perfect evening dress but are also treated to an espresso, the shopping experience becomes a little break from the daily grind.
When it comes to events, the Pirzer-Jechnerers are pros anyway. “My motto is: create footfall if you’re short of it!” says Stephanie Jechnerer. That’s not a problem at Frühauf – despite its rural location. Jechnerer and her team are constantly coming up with new highlights to fill the shop.
Take, for example, the Saturday fashion breakfast in the Freyblick Lounge. “Our customers enjoy a leisurely breakfast and, whilst they’re picking out their festive outfits – for a wedding, for instance – the children play in the lovingly designed children’s corner,” explains Stephanie. An idea that’s proving a hit. And even recently, right in the middle of the renovation phase in February 2026, the shop was absolutely packed: at the Valentine’s brunch, there was champagne and doughnuts on the first floor, whilst the ground floor was still a building site. “Otherwise, nobody goes to Freystadt on Saturdays,” says Stephanie with a laugh.
There was another unique aspect to the project: in this case, the Pirzer family themselves were in charge of site management and coordinated the trades. “We had a fairly short construction period during which the client’s tradespeople and those from KNOBLAUCH were working on site together,” reports project manager Judith Hämmerle. This meant that short lines of communication and quick coordination were essential.
