ERICH BIEHLE 

Erich Biehle (b. 1941, Lucerne), Swiss designer, creative director, and manager, lives in the United States.  He studied with Johannes Itten at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK) and the Swiss Textile School Zurich from 1958 to 1962.  

 

An employment followed with the Zurich silk company Abraham, an important pillar in the 20th-century European textile industry.  Specializing in fabric designs for Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Porter, Biehle's customers included world famous fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Lanvin, Jean Louis Scherrer, Dior, and Ungaro.  

 

In the early 1970s, Biehle began working independently and in collaboration with Abraham for many of the labels mentioned above.  1976 he switched to Givenchy where he worked with Hubert de Givenchy directly for concept, design and for the development of worldwide licensing.  In 1991, as part of a rebranding, Bally International brought him on board as creative director and deputy chairman of the board.  Biehle served from 1996 to 2002 as CEO and chairman of the board of his former employer, the Abraham Group, with companies in Zurich, Paris, and New York.  

 

Today, Erich Biehle works as a consultant for many renowned fashion brands and still does design work for selected designers. 

 

In June 2014 Erich Biehle received the prestigious Grand Prix Design of the Swiss Confederation Award for his lifetime achievement (Art Basel, 2014).

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Recently, Erich Biehle worked as the creative force behind the brand BY BIEHLE, which was launched by his son in July 2019. BY BIEHLE merges textile and invitation design by introducing the world's first exclusive silk scarf invitation for high-end weddings and events.