Akris pieces cleaned and hand-finished by Alex's Dry Cleaning Valet.
Heritage & Expertise
Akris, Cared For by Alex's Team
Founded in St. Gallen, Switzerland in 1922 by Alice Kriemler-Schoch as a maker of fine aprons, Akris grew across three generations of the Kriemler family into one of the few couture-level womenswear houses anchored in Swiss precision — today designed by Alice's grandson, creative director Albert Kriemler. The brand is celebrated for its seamless double-face cashmere, architectural minimalism, and the intricate St. Gallen embroidery native to its home region — pieces engineered as much as they are sewn.
Akris's signature double-face fabrics carry no lining and no visible seams, so a single careless press, an over-aggressive solvent, or a slipped temperature can permanently distort the drape or crush the bonded weave — damage that cannot be undone. We specialize in exactly this kind of unforgiving, construction-led garment.
Specialist Care
How Alex's Cares for Akris
Every Akris piece is inspected fiber-by-fiber, cleaned by the gentlest method its specific fabric demands, and hand-finished to restore the house's clean architectural drape — never rushed, never mass-processed.
Double-face cashmere
Akris's unlined, reversible double-face cashmere has no seams to hide behind. We clean it with low-agitation methods and hand-press it cool, preserving the bonded weave's body and the knife-clean edges that define the silhouette.
St. Gallen embroidery
The delicate embroidery and lace native to Akris's Swiss home can snag, pull, or flatten under standard pressing. We finish these areas by hand, working around each motif so the relief and texture stay intact.
Architectural drape
Akris is engineered for a precise, sculptural fall. We block and steam-finish each piece to its original line, never over-pressing crisp folds or collapsing the structured volumes the house designs in.
Silk gazar and technical fabrics
Akris frequently works in silk gazar and bonded technical cloths that react badly to heat and harsh solvents. We test and treat each individually, protecting both the hand and the dimensional stability of the material — and we care for the house's horsehair accessories with the same individual attention.
Evening gowns and beading
Gowns and evening wear receive individual attention — hand-spotting, secured embellishments, and breathable finishing so beadwork, pleats, and floor-length hems arrive flawless and ready to wear.
Pickup & Delivery
Door-to-Door Across the Bay Area
The same white-glove standard travels everywhere we serve. Pickup from your front door, doorman, or garage — returned cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
San Francisco
Monday – Saturday
Next-business-day return; Saturday pickups return Tuesday morning.
Peninsula & South Bay
Monday · Wednesday · Friday
Returned on the next scheduled service day.
Marin County
Every Day
Same-day return is the standard — morning pickups come back the same afternoon.
East Bay
Thursday & Saturday
Returned on the next service day.
Wine Country
Monday & Thursday
Sonoma & the Napa Valley — $300 service minimum, or a $75 delivery charge each way.
$75 minimum per pickup with free pickup and delivery across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and the East Bay. Wine Country (Napa, Sonoma & St. Helena): $300 service minimum, or a $75 delivery charge each way. Same-day service available in most areas for an additional fee.
Common Questions
Akris Garment Care FAQ
How do you clean Akris double-face cashmere without ruining the drape?
Akris double-face cashmere is unlined and bonded, with no seams or lining to protect it, so it must never be machine-pressed flat or run through a generic hot cycle. We clean it with gentle, low-agitation methods matched to the fiber, then hand-finish it cool to preserve the bonded weave's body and the garment's sculptural drape. This protects the very construction that gives an Akris piece its shape.
Do you pick up and deliver Akris garments in San Francisco?
Yes. Alex's is fully door-to-door across San Francisco and the Bay Area — there is no need to drop anything off. We collect your Akris dresses and gowns from your home, care for them by hand, and return them ready to wear. Simply text 415-338-9318 to schedule a pickup at a time that suits you.
Can you safely clean Akris St. Gallen embroidery and beaded evening wear?
Yes. The St. Gallen embroidery and lace native to Akris, along with beadwork on its evening pieces, are finished entirely by hand so nothing is flattened, snagged, or pulled. We hand-spot stains, secure embellishments before cleaning, and steam-finish around each motif so the texture and relief remain exactly as designed.