Both companies produce luxury goods including handbags, shoes, women's ready-to-wear, wallets, and leather accessories.
Étienne (István) Aigner was born in Érsekújvár, Kingdom of Hungary, in 1904 (now Nové Zámky, Slovakia).
Aigner was at first a bookbinder; shortly after the Second World War, he was creating custom-made high-end leather goods for a number of haute couture (high fashion) boutiques in Paris.
In 1950, after successful apprenticeships with designers Christian Dior and Cristóbal Balenciaga, Aigner arrived in New York City from Paris with plans to launch his brand in the new burgeoning American market.
During the 1980s Aigner stretched its product range by awarding licences for watches, jewellery and eyewear.