GRETCHEN

Ann –Christin Hoffman grew up with the smell of fresh leather as this was the family business in Germany. This was not about design; this was about the ”skin business.” Ann-Christin had other plans for herself as she had been born with a talent…drawing. Following her God given talents, she pursued her education in England and as luck would have it; her final project was to design as pair of gloves. The award winning

design was then taken and applied to the family business and was to be the precursor of the Gretchen business of today.
The gloves were only the beginning of the burgeoning business, as with time, she expanded her product selection to include handbags and belts. Her products are a stunning testament to good taste and fine workmanship that is rarely found at these prices. The company, which was formed with Michael Georg Schmitt in 2004, has now become an international business spanning many of the international markets.
Ms. Hoffman has reached almost every age bracket with her diverse designs as well as with her diverse product categories. She makes sure that everyone can afford to own a wonderfully handcrafted piece of leather that will last many years and beyond just a trend.
Gretchen is literally an old German name meaning “little pearl.” The name clearly is demonstrative of the design philosophy of the company. In her own words, “To create precious and sensual accessories for ladies, each of them individual, unique and beautiful by nature….like a pearl.”