The Anita Brand Legacy: Intrigue, Leadership & Product Excellence
By ELLEN LEWIS
Ever since the last NY Curve Show where I met Georg Weber-Unger, the indefatigable leader of the Global Anita brand, I have felt compelled to tell this story. Actually, it’s his story, his family’s legacy, and the extraordinary diligence of the Anita team worldwide that completes this narrative.
This is a tale of international intrigue, powerful women, endless energy, incredible endurance, stellar products, and a phenomenal man. For me it confirms my belief that excellence in performance is a direct result of the person who directs it. I was intrigued by Georg, his enthusiasm for his company, his generosity towards everyone, his sophisticated demeanor, and his endless charm. He fascinated me (obviously), a renaissance man who is clearly the lifeblood of his company.
Now, for a confession. When I started writing the Lingerie Briefs blog 15 years ago, even with years of Intimate Apparel experience, I was not very familiar with the essence of the Anita brand. In my mind it was an established German company who produced traditional bras as well as mastectomy products that were sold in North American specialty shops of a certain stature. Then came the Anita Active surge. The north American directors identified the USA sports obsession. With their focus on Sports Bras, these styles have earned accolades nationwide. Today, every single store with whom I speak names Anita Sports Bras as their number one supplier. Obviously, they are a force.
I began to pay more attention.
Landmark moments provide insight into the product evolution for the Anita brand. For example, changes in available textiles during the industrial revolution, and pages from the Sears catalog identifying American lingerie fueled opportunity.
Beginning with cotton bras for Russia and heavy corsets prior to WWII, they experimented and evolved into maternity and mastectomy products. By the 1950’s swimwear entered the fray. By the 80’s the Rosa Faia brand appeared. Always conscious of the special fit needs of larger breasted women as well as the extraordinary craftsmanship innate in the German DNA, a lingerie stronghold emerged.
Back to Georg, his intriguing history and why I believe so hardily in the Anita exemplar.
First of all, and a critical point, is that Anita is a family-owned company and has been since Georg’s great grandfather started it in 1886 in Dresden Germany (Later, East Germany).
In 1945, the story gets complicated. The details are fascinating, but too complex to present here. If you ever have the opportunity to speak directly to Georg, I promise you will be mesmerized. Suffice it to say that between 1945 and 1971, the Anita company located in Dresden was subjected to factory destruction, East German oversight, de-privatizing the business, Stassi abscondment of the family fortune, and covert actions to escape communism. The heroes in this journey were Georg’s Grandmother and mother, who saw the handwriting on the wall in 1949, moved to Bavaria (later West Germany) and rebooted the Anita empire. Under the stewardship of these two women, Georg learned the business, female fortitude and the technical details required to create a powerhouse product.
Today, I admit that I am a personal advocate of the Anita brand. This is not a review. It’s about my size, G/H cup and the difficulty finding bras and bathing suits that not only function at a high level but are also effortlessly comfortable. Pictured in this article are 3 separate Sports Bras non-wired and wired that I own, my one-piece basic super soft bathing suit and the Essentials bralettes which are lightly supportive underlayers.
Today besides the Brandenburg headquarters, Anita has seven production facilities, twenty group companies and 1700 employees worldwide. But despite their far-reaching tendrils, they are still a family, all hands-on deck always searching for the best in people, the best in materials and the best in performance. That’s Georg’s legacy.
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