The German fashion label Strenesse may not be the brand with the broadest marketing plan or the flashiest advertising campaign. But creative director Gabriele Strehle likes it that way. “My strength is not a loudness. It’s sensitivity,” she said during a recent visit to New York.

The presentation of her fall 2006 collection during Olympus Fashion Week last month was only the second season Ms. Strehle has shown in New York City. “We’ve shown in Milan for 10 years. Last season, we wanted to make a step forward in the international market,” she said.

Strenesse already has a strong presence, but it’s concentrated in Europe. The clothes are available in more than 30 countries. Eight of nine freestanding Strenesse stores and most of the 10 franchised shops are in Germany. The menswear division is headquartered in Milan and distributed only in Europe and Japan, with America to follow, possibly within the next year.

But in coming to New York’s Fashion Week, Ms. Strehle’s goal was to increase her American presence.The collection is currently available at Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. It was also picked up by Nordstrom’s nationwide, Neiman Marcus online, and a handful of boutiques dotted around the country.

If fashion were like the movies, we’d call Strenesse a stateside “sleeper” hit.The line is out there, and the more you see the clothes, touch the fabric, and feel the fit, the more you want the clothes to be in your closet. (In addition to the central brand, which is technically known as Strenesse Gabriele Strehle, there is a lower-priced line called Strenesse Blue.)

What Ms. Strehle has to offer the American market is a committed attention to quality and an understanding of modern life. Knitwear – of the softest order – is one of her brand’s strengths. The expert tailoring of suits and outerwear is also a major success for the company. For day, the fabrics and colors are typically both luxurious and wearable to the office. Evening looks are bound more for cocktail parties and important occasions, rather than the red carpet.

As a working mother, Ms. Strehle has a clear vision of her clients, be they in New York, Hamburg, or Naples: “She’s in business. She has her family. She is open minded. This you find everywhere. The only thing that we must do for the Asian market is make smaller sizes. In the end, it’s the same woman.”

The emphasis on tailoring, which is the foundation of Ms. Strehle’s design background,is paired with a softness.It’s a look she defines as “romantic minimalism.” “On one side is the clean shapes, but we break them up in different ways,” she said. “We are the second skin of the person. I would like to remember you by your face, not your clothes.”

She’s well aware of the fact that shoppers buy in pieces, not ensembles.That’s one of the reasons she started a line of accessories, including shoes, bags, necklaces, and scarves. “There must be also flexibility, so you can mix them up in different ways. But that means each piece must be very strong on its own,” she said.

One element that gives Strenesse a clear identity is that it is so directly an expression of its management. Ms. Strehle and her husband, Gerd – the company’s president and CEO – have taken the label from its origins as a coat and suit company to its current state as an international house with $100 million (85 million euros) in sales a year. They’re not in a fashion group or managed by some distant conglomerate. As Ms. Strehle sees it, the company and the clothing are a personal statement.

“There are lots of marketing-driven brands now.This is a chance to make something more personal. Everybody knows who’s behind the brand,” she said.

As the person behind the brand, Ms. Strehle has an air of dignity, acceptance, and warmth – coupled with intense personal expressivity. Her portraits give her a contemplative look, but in person, she’s ready with a smile, especially when talking about her children.

When asked if she and her husband talk too much about their work, she tells a story of her youngest daughter, who instituted a family policy about office talk.”When she was 10,she said,’You must give me a penny when you talk about business.’ She has a little box on her door,” Ms. Strehle said.

Home is a priority for this designer, who has decorated in a way that echoes her approach to fashion design: “I like tradition, but I mix it up in a new way, for how we live now.” Her passion outside the design studio is for cooking. “To have friends and family around and cooking is really something. It gives me the power for the next day,” she said. “For me, it’s relaxing. It’s creative.”

When she brings that creativity to the drawing board, the results are remarkably varied. Her spring-summer 2006 collection is in stores now and ranges from a black cotton spaghetti-strap dress ($840) to skirts and separates (starting at around $300).The fall 2006 collection, which was shown on the runway last month, was strong with knitwear and menswear-inspired suits. Though the color palette was muted, occasional spots of bright color – a bright red sweater or an iridescent green sheath – turned up. What’s really telling is that the Strenesse show had an atmosphere of calm in a week of busy crowds, hectic schedules, and loud music.

At Bloomingdale’s, Strenesse is positioned on the newly redesigned third floor, near Elie Tahari and Ralph Lauren Black Label. But when asked who her competitors are, Ms. Strehle stumped. “It’s important that I have my own vision. I don’t look left or right,” she said. “Otherwise, you lose your strength. That’s really something I don’t want to go away from.”

What’s next for the brand? The goal is to expand offerings in America, and to introduce the menswear line. But this is a company that is not going to grow without careful thought. “We go step by step,” Ms. Strehle said.

In the management of the company and in the style of the clothes, she’s adamant about what Strenesse is: “It’s me. It’s my husband. It’s us together.”