Fragrance house

Mode Creation Munich

Mode Creation München, known as MCM, was founded in Munich in 1976 by Michael Cromer. Its original identity combined travel pieces and German craftsmanship with Munich and Bavarian references, expressed most visibly in the Visetos motif, which pairs the MCM logo with Bavarian flag-inspired diamonds. MCM became internationally prominent in the 1980s; its luggage was associated with Diana Ross, and a 1996 Herb Ritts campaign featured Cindy Crawford. After financial problems in the 2000s, Sungjoo Group acquired the brand in April 2005 in a takeover intended to relaunch it globally. The post-2005 brand introduced unisex backpacks and big bags designed for mobility and laptop use, which became signature items. Its creative language has been shaped by collaborations across music, art, sport and fashion, including Tobias Rehberger’s 2016 collaboration, Christopher Raeburn’s 2017 collection, Misa Hylton’s 2018 appointment as global creative partner, and a 2018 Beyoncé APES—T music-video bodysuit. In 2023, MCM introduced a deconstructed Laurel logo as a development of Visetos; by 2024, Katie Chung was described as modernizing the monogram into Lauretos. MCM entered fragrance in 2021 with MCM Eau de Parfum, its first signature fragrance, housed in a bottle inspired by its backpack; the fragrance received the Fragrance Foundation’s 2022 Packaging of the Year award.