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Loka is comfortable and mobile. Clothes that make you feel comfortable in your own body, yet catches the eye. Every day "wear clothes" but still beautiful enough for special occasions. Loka is my clothes, your clothes, our clothes. Handmade with love and the promise that you will be unique as we limit the quantity of each item.

 Listings /  Africa

This owner-managed business has successfully evolved to become a leading supplier of Personal Protective Equipment to the mining and industrial sectors of South Africa and the greater African Continent. Pienaar Brothers prides itself in having hands on owner involvement and can offer customers unprecedented service and reliability for this reason. We have distribution centres in Cape Town (Western Cape), Worcester & Wellington (Boland), Saldanha Bay (West Coast), Mosselbay & George (Southern Cape), Port Elizabeth & East London (Eastern Cape), Durban (Kwazulu Natal), Kathu (Northern Cape) and Gauteng (Pienaar Bros North). We manufacture and distribute a wide range of quality and reliable safety products that meet SABS, CE and other international standards and specifications. Our established enterprise offers you a comprehensive range of quality products at extremely competitive prices with the added value of friendly and efficient service.

 Listings /  Africa

Moglie, madre, nonna, Paola Thaon di Revel ama i fiori e la natura. L'eredità è il suo background. È cresciuta in una famiglia dove la disciplina militare era un dato di fatto, così come la voglia di divertirsi. Sei sorelle e un fratello, in una grande villa chiamata “Cimena”, dove molti sono venuti in visita: da Umberto I, agli americani colti, ai vicini Bruni Tedeschi sulla stessa collina. Una vita dedicata al marito, Franco Reviglio e ai tre figli con tanti spostamenti e viaggi, in tutto il mondo. Oggi, i sette nipoti e la casa di campagna, regalano giornate intensamente soddisfacenti. Wife, mother, grandmother, Paola Thaon di Revel loves flowers and nature. Heritage is her background. She grew up in a family where military discipline was a given, as well as the desire to have fun. Six sisters and one brother, in a large villa called “Cimena”, and everyone came to visit: from Umberto I, to educated Americans, to the Bruni Tedeschi neighbours on the same hill. A life dedicated to her husband, Franco Reviglio and the three children with many moves and travels, all over the world. Today, the seven grandchildren and country house, make for intensely satisfying days.

 Partners /  Greater Europe

Die GLS Bank ist in Deutschland die Refernz für sozial und ökologisches Banking. Wer bei der GLS Bank Kunde ist, kann sich sicher sein, dass sein Geld dazu beiträgt die Zukunft zu gestalten, die wir uns alle wüsnchen. Investitionen gehen in eigens sehr strickt aufgelegte Fonds welche das 1.5°C Ziel bereits erfüllen. Keine Kinderarbeit, keine Waffen, kein Genforschung oder andere negativ Themen - sondern erneuerbare Energien, Soziales und Kultur, ökologische Landwirtschaft, Ernährung, nachhaltige Wirtschaft und weitere positiv beitragende Vorhaben werden ausschließlich unterstützt. Als Kunde bei der Bank trägt man dazu bei, dass ausschließlich diese positiven Projekte gefördert werden. Der strickte Zuspruch zu sozial und ökologischen Projekten wird bei allen Produkten, die ein Kunde von seiner Bank kennt (Baugredite, Firmenkredite, Altersovrsorge, Anlagen, Investitionen etc) unabweichlich eingehalten. Privatpersonen, Firmen und Vereine werden darüber hinaus aktiv unterstützt ihrn eigenen Impact zu verbessern. Die GLS Bank ist eine Universal-Bank, bei welcher man nahezu alle Finanzdienstleistungen in Anspruch nehmen kann - jedoch immer unter einer strickten sozial, ökologischen und nachhaltigen Perspektive. Die Bank ist überwiegend in Deutschland tätig. Es können alle Dienste online wahrgenommen werden und es gibt mehrere Filialen für den persönlichen Besuch. Desweiteren besticht die Bank durch Ihre Rechtsform, die Genossenschaft. Die mitgleiderbestimmte Gesellschaftsform ist darauf gegründet in Gemeinschaft einen gesellschaftlich positiven Beitrag zu leisten. Mit der GLS Bank gibt es keinen Bedarf mehr als Privatperson sowie Firma bei einer konventionellen Bank zu sein und indirekt Umweltvernichtende Projekte zu unterstützen. Die GLS Bank bietet den vollumassenden Banken-Service mit reinem und ehrlichem guten Gewissen. Klimaschutz kann so einfach sein: Werde jetzt Mitglied bei der GLS Bank. The GLS Bank is the reference for social and ecological banking in Germany. Anyone who is a customer of GLS Bank can be sure that their money will help shape the future that we all want. Investments are made in specially designed funds that already meet the 1.5 ° C target. No child labor, no weapons, no genetic research or other negative topics - only renewable energies, social affairs and culture, ecological agriculture, nutrition, sustainable economy and other positively contributing projects are exclusively supported. As a customer at the bank, you help ensure that only these positive projects are funded. The strict encouragement to social and ecological projects is inevitably complied with for all products that a customer knows from their bank (building loans, corporate loans, old-age provision, systems, investments, etc.). Private individuals, companies and associations are also actively supported to improve their own impact. The GLS Bank is a universal bank, where you can take advantage of almost all financial services - but always under a strict social, ecological and sustainable perspective. The bank operates predominantly in Germany. All services can be used online and there are several branches for personal visits. Furthermore, the bank impresses with its legal form, the cooperative. The member-determined form of society is based on making a socially positive contribution in community. With the GLS Bank, there is no longer any need to be a private person or company with a conventional bank and indirectly support environmentally damaging projects. GLS Bank offers the full banking service with a clear and honest good conscience. Climate protection can be so easy: become a member of GLS Bank now.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Hans-Juergen Wiegand is a man who lives his work passions and family, with determination. A philanthropist, who has held important positions in the chemical and automotive world, in particular with Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz). He loves to travel, attaining knowledge and experience from different cultures. These experiences have shaped him, with a particular acumen in recognizing the best in human beings. Hans thrives on helping young people, to realize their dreams, as he has realized his own. Hans is an inspirational leader, with the competence to restructure and transform organizations. He is very flexible with people, and stands like a rock when it comes to principles. Whatever happens, he will always stay positive.

 Partners /  Greater Europe

AG Jeans is a premium denim and knitwear house leading the sustainable manufacturing movement with innovative technology and eco-minded processes. In 2000, two powerhouses of the denim industry brought their visions together and founded AG Jeans in Los Angeles, California. Nicknamed the “Godfather of denim,” Adriano Goldschmied established a legacy that was instantly recognized for its ingenious washes and designs, laying the groundwork for AG’s rise in popularity as the leader of premium denim. Concurrently, the manufacturing phenom, Yul Ku, was pushing for drastic innovations in sustainable production while establishing AG as the first vertically operated denim manufacturer on the West Coast. AG’s decades of progressive experience have led to industry-wide adoption of environmentally conscious design and construction including Ozone technology, laser finishing, solar energy, and water recycling. Today, AG Jeans continues on its mission to design product that is authentically rooted in denim, craftsmanship, fit, and fabric innovation. Our in-house model helps us to pivot alongside the newest mechanisms on the market, keeping our process eco-inspired, transparent in its practice, and radical in its production. AG Jeans is proud to lead the sustainable denim movement with its AGOODKARMA initiative, a program committed to advancing AG’s technology, techniques, and practices in both design and manufacturing. Complemented by integral partnerships focused on social, environmental, and economic objectives, AG pursues its responsibility to institute positive change in our community through a multi-faceted lens. Serving 20 countries around the globe.

 Listings /  WorldWide

CELINE is a French ready-to-wear and leather luxury goods brand that has been owned by LVMH group since 1996. It was founded in 1945 by Céline Vipiana. In 1945, Céline Vipiana (1915–1997)[4] and her husband, Richard, created one of the first luxury brands in the industry, Céline, a made-to-measure children's shoe business, and opened a first boutique at 52 rue Malte in Paris.[6] The brand was recognised by its logo, the red elephant created by Raymont Peynet. In 1960, the brand decided to change its positioning by focusing its business on a ready-to-wear fashion brand for women with a sportswear approach.[8] Henceforth, the brand offered a range of leather goods such as bags, loafers, gloves and clothes.[9] Céline Vipiana remained the designer from 1945-1997.[10] In 1964, the launch of the new fragrance "Vent fou"[11] and the new ‘American Sulky’ collection of accessories gained success. The trench became the chief product of the house.[12] Prompted by the popularity of leather, Céline opened a leather goods factory in Florence.[13] In 1973, Céline redesigned its logo with the intertwined "C" Sulky canvas, linked to the Arc-de-Triomphe, which appeared as a symbol for Parisians. At that time, Céline began its expansion in the world with the opening of various boutiques in Monte Carlo, Geneva, Hong Kong, Lausanne, Toronto and Beverly Hills. The brand owns almost 150 stores worldwide and is distributed through a selective network.

 Listings /  WorldWide

Dior, a brand rooted in history and just as luxurious as it sounds. An internationally renowned brand since 1946, the French fashion house acclaimed for its elegance and timeless femininity. A leading company that has remained at the top of fashion's hierarchy for over 70 years, Dior's unique look has influenced the world of fashion since the beginning. Innovative but traditional, Dior maintains its reputation as creator of recognized haute couture. From their ready-to-wear fashion, leather goods, accessories, or footwear, Dior changed the game forever. To this day, the brand is all around us in some way, shape, or form - even if we don't know it. Founded by Christian Dior, born January 1905, the fashion house was established in December 1946 at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Dior's first collection launched on February 12th for Spring / Summer 1947 at the company's head quarters. An instant success, Harper's Bazaar Editor-In-Chief Carmel Snow strongly believed in Dior's talent. "It's quite a revolution, dear Christian! Your dresses have such a new look," she exclaimed. Thus, the "New Look" became a trademark. Introducing unique silhouettes consisting of shorter, fuller skirts, tighter waists, and accentuated busts - Dior's pieces were revolutionary, especially in the 40s. Although time continues to progress and changes in the fashion industry are always occurring, Dior continues to produce beautiful, timeless pieces that remain innovative and original. Truly a brand with a fascinating backstory, Dior remains one of the most prominent and important fashion houses of our time.

 Listings /  WorldWide

Chanel is headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, in the Île-de-France region, just outside of Paris. The company's products are sold worldwide; it generates 40% of sales in Europe, 33% in the Asia/Pacific region, and 20% in the Americas. Chanel sells its luxury goods worldwide through more than around 190 boutiques. Gabrielle Chanel was born in Saumur, France on August 19, 1883, under the sign of the lion. "Coco," as she had come to be called, opens a hat boutique at 21 rue Cambon under the name Chanel Modes. Her hats were worn by well-known French actresses of the era, and helped build her reputation. Gabrielle Chanel opens her first boutique in Deauville. From 1913, she begins to sell a line of sportswear made of jersey, a material that was previously used to make men’s underwear. This approach revolutionized fashion and women's relationships with their bodies. It was an instant success. Encouraged by her success, Mademoiselle Chanel opens her first Couture House in Biarritz, France. She employs 300 workers there and designs her first Haute Couture collection. Gabrielle Chanel purchases the building at 31 rue Cambon and sets up her Couture House there. The "31" building housed a boutique, salons and workshops; a layout that remains the same today. Launch of the first CHANEL perfume: N°5. This "women’s perfume which smells like a woman," revolutionary due to its composition, name and presentation, was born out of Gabrielle Chanel’s partnership with perfumer Ernest Beaux. The "Société des Parfums CHANEL" company is created in 1924 to produce and sell perfumes and cosmetics. Ernest Beaux then became the House's first in-house perfume designer. The first collections of powders and lipsticks were created in the same year.

 Listings /  WorldWide

Since 1913 Prada has been synonymous with avant-garde style. His intellectual universe unites concept, structure and image, through codes that transcend trends. Her fashion transcends the product: it is the translation of the conceptual into a universe that becomes a point of reference for those who love to experiment, challenging conventions. With its innovative approach, which draws inspiration from an unconventional observation of society, Prada elaborates languages ​​that go beyond trends. Style statements that arise from the passionate investigation even of areas apparently far from fashion, such as art, cinema and photography, and result in creations that reinterpret reality starting from unprecedented points of view. The aesthetic codes of the brand, free from conceptual foreclosures and the stringent constraint of stylistic cohesion, have influenced generations of creatives with manifestos of cultural emancipation that intertwine the broadest spheres of life. Prada fashion extends beyond products: it is the transposition of ideas and ideals on clothes and accessories, which become tools for bold self-expression. Miuccia Prada, with her work, does not give up on challenging the pre-established patterns of aesthetics. Prada is an expression of society, society changes, Prada evolves accordingly. The simple and the classic are deliberately distorted and reexamined, in the constant search for new perspectives. An avant-garde laboratory that makes instinct and cultural propensity its values. The conceptual is the expressive form of Prada, an intellectual commitment to the reinterpretation of good taste. In each collection the shared aesthetic canons are reviewed, through an unusual perspective and at the same time the new products challenge material processes with technology and know-how.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Passion for materials accompanied Salvatore Ferragamo’s work right from his early days in the 1920s. For the Founder, any material, even the most modest and apparently unsuitable for a luxury business, could be brilliantly and creatively adapted when the ideas, which are linked to the materials, are driven by limitless technical and innovative ability. This vision has been recently consolidated by the Company, which started to manufacture products using organic cotton and silk and recycled and regenerated materials such as nylon, wool, cashmere, and silk, aiming at fostering circular economy and introducing responsible, innovative, and high-quality materials. The innovation has also encompassed the introduction of chrome and metal free leather and the use of soles made of leather tanned with plant based materials and through a certified lower environmental impact production process. Salvatore Ferragamo was one of the first to realize that fashion, art, and culture are intimately connected. Over the years, the Company has acted on its Founder's insight, dedicating considerable attention and resources to cultural initiatives in order to promote art in all its forms. The commitment to the community where it operates is reflected also in the social initiatives in which the Group actively participates. Creativity, innovation and excellent craftsmanship have been the core values of the Salvatore Ferragamo brand since it began, and are tangible elements in the design and production of each and every one of its creations. The Brand’s deep ties to the local area, its culture and community have instilled in Salvatore Ferragamo an ever greater awareness of the need for a sincere and significant commitment to protecting the places where it operates and the people who work for it, a commitment that goes beyond mere compliance with the provisions of national and international laws, standards and regulations.

 Listings /  WorldWide

Ralph Lauren Corporation is a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories, including apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands, and international markets. The Company’s brand names, which include Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, and Club Monaco, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. We believe that our global reach, breadth of product offerings, and multichannel distribution are unique among luxury and apparel companies. Reflecting a distinctive American perspective, we have been an innovator in aspirational lifestyle branding and believe that, under the direction of internationally renowned designer Ralph Lauren, we have had a considerable influence on the way people dress and the way that fashion is advertised and celebrated throughout the world. We combine consumer insights with our design, marketing, and imaging skills to offer, along with our licensing alliances, broad lifestyle product collections with a unified vision.

 Listings /  WorldWide

Founded in 1978 in Milan, Gianni Versace S.r.l is one of the leading international fashion design houses and a symbol of Italian luxury world-wide. It designs, manufactures, distributes and retails fashion and lifestyle products including haute couture, prèt-à-porter, accessories, jewellery, watches, eyewear, fragrances, and home furnishings all bearing the distinctive Medusa logo. The Versace Group distributes its products through a world-wide D.O.S network which includes over 200 boutiques in the principal cities and over 1500 wholesalers worldwide. Donatella Versace has been Artistic Director of Versace since 1997 and has steered the brand into the 21st century. Today, Versace represents its heritage through its strong and fearless designs, while addressing a new global audience which continues to strengthen Versace’s position in contemporary culture. In 2000 Gianni Versace S.r.l opened Palazzo Versace, the first hotel project to be branded by a luxury goods company, which provides tourists and travellers the opportunity to experience and enjoy the complete Versace lifestyle. The second Palazzo Versace built in Dubai opened in 2015. The third Palazzo Versace will be built in Macau, China. In February 2014, Gianni Versace S.r.l announced its agreement with Blackstone to participate in the next phase of the Company’s development. Blackstone owns 20 percent of the company; while the Versace family remains at its heart, with Ms. Allegra Versace Beck, Ms. Donatella Versace and Mr. Santo Versace all playing important roles in the company. Donatella Versace holds the dual role of Vice-President of the board and Artistic Director. In May 2016, the Versace Group appointed Mr. Jonathan Akeroyd to the position of CEO and member of the company’s Board of Directors. In September 2018, Versace announced that one hundred percent of all Blackstone and Versace family shares had been sold to the Group Michael Kors Limited. In January 2019, Gianni Versace S.r.l. joined Capri Holdings Limited, forming a new global fashion luxury group together with Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.

 Listings /  WorldWide

The Dolce & Gabbana Group (hereinafter also referred to as “Dolce & Gabbana”, the “Group” or the ”Company”), established in 1985 from the creativity of its two founding members, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, is one of the leading international companies in the luxury goods sector to have experienced continuous growth over the years, becoming a recognised and influential company in the world of luxury brands. The Group’s mission is to design, produce and distribute high-end clothing, leather goods, footwear and accessories under the Dolce & Gabbana brand, as well as manage, through its licensees, the production and distribution of the fragrances, make-up, eyewear, timepieces and jewels lines. The Group’s strength is based on the complementarity between the designers-entrepreneurs, the management and the rest of the organisational structure. Dolce & Gabbana, in its constant endeavour to conform to ethically exemplary conduct and in compliance with legal rules, has deemed it necessary to formalise in a business document the set of core values and rules of conduct that guide its responsible actions in liaising with their internal and external stakeholders, in order to achieve its corporate and social mission. For Dolce & Gabbana, contrast is an endless source of stimulation and inspiration. The Contrast value generates the Harmony value which is expressed in a style that combines Luxury & Street, Tradition & Research, Creativity & Tailoring, Excess & Rigour, Dream & Reality. For Dolce & Gabbana, creativity is the essence that brings the items of clothing to life. The Creativity value ties in with the Entrepreneurship value, making it possible to create original products that express a unique style in line with market expectations.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Chiara Ferragni launched her blog, The Blonde Salad, in 2009 while attending Milan’s Bocconi University for a degree in law. Initially indicative of the “mixed salad” of interests including travel, beauty and food, the blog has since become focused on fashion. Among her style choices and inspirations, The Blonde Salad charts her collaborations with an impressive roster of design houses, including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Ermenegildo Zegna, Benetton and Mango. She was also announced as the European ambassador of Amazon Fashion and face of its Spring 2016. In 2017, Ferragni stepped up to the helm of her TBS Crew to become its president and chief executive. Ferragni’s namesake line, Chiara Ferragni Collection, started out in 2013 as a footwear line with Luisa Via Roma. It has since expanded into clothing, accessories and children’s wear and boasts four flagship stores and over 300 retail doors. The company reported 2016 revenues of €17 million ($20 million). With her blog The Blonde Salad, Chiara Ferragni has used her social media style posts to create a multi-million pound business. ‘People like my story as a self-made woman.' The daughter of a dentist and a writer, Ferragni says she knows exactly why she’s so popular. “People like my story as a self-made woman,” she says. “That’s very unusual in Italy – a lot of people of my generation don’t even have a job. I don’t really know how I did it.” Timing was definitely a factor. In 2009, she worked with her then-boyfriend, now CEO Riccardo Pozzoli, to turn a “personal space” into a business, first through banner ads and Ferragni modelling brands’ clothes in the images, with fees of about €1,000-2,000 for a post. Now, she doesn’t disclose what the fees are, but it’s safe to assume they’re significantlyhigher. And, like the whole discernible talent thing, Ferragni’s fans don’t appear to be concerned by these corporate hookups. “It has to feel natural and transparent,” she says. “For me, selection is everything, it has to be something that my followers will be happy to know about. I can’t lose my credibility – you can’t put a price on that.” To further illustrate Ferragni’s influence, the documentary Unposted, a "millennial story of making it", contains interviews with Delphine Arnault, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Diane von Furstenberg, Paris Hilton, Jeremy Scott, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Alberta Ferretti, and more fashion-world fixtures. The industry approval, the 17 million Instagram followers, the young men and women that scream and weep in her presence, and the fact that Harvard Business School used her as a social media case study cement Ferragni as one of the internet’s most valuable moguls. She’s also one of the most clever. At the film’s premiere, Italy’s Consul General to the United States introduced her to the audience, making a pointed connection. “I think that Chiara Ferragni runs deep in the historic Italian tradition of creativity. […] She combines, at the same time, a capacity to be an entrepreneur, an influencer, a producer, a designer. I think these are all features of the Italian Renaissance, to be many things together at the same time,” he said.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

In 1796, with the birth of his first son, also named Thomas, Thomas made the move to Wigston Magma where he went into business as a hand frame knitter, commonly known back then as a “bag man”. In total, Thomas had two children, Thomas (1796) and William (1797), who later went on to run the business. Every step from the very first design to the finishing stitch has, and will always be, executed here in the UK. We can control everything about the garment production from start to finish and we have a close working relationship with the team at our Manchester based factory. We offer something a bit different, something special and we want our customers to be excited about where their clothing comes from. “90% of clothing that we buy in Britain is outsourced when it comes to production in order to cut costs as much as possible, but this often means sacrifices in the brands' sustainability as well as in the quality of the garment produced…” We always start the design process with a few core themes in mind; Functionality, adaptability and a play on tradition. It is important that our clothes span seasons and that you are investing in a wardrobe staple that you will love for years to come, so the highest quality materials are essential. Our designs stand up to the elements but transition perfectly to suit an urban environment, making them adaptable for both city living and country breaks. When you’ve been around as long as we have, you get a clear sense of what determines a piece of clothing a ‘classic’, We take these classics and play with the structure, colourways and detail to make them fresh and contemporary. Our knitwear factory is situated in Manchester, but our offices and headquarters have resided in Bristol for the last 10 years. The team have settled into a new office and showroom in Montpelier, a vibrant and bustling area just North of Bristol city-centre which is well worth a visit if you stop by, have a coffee and peruse the latest range.

 Listings /  United Kingdom

Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Italy, and broke into the fashion industry in the sixties after a brief time in the military service. Giorgio launched his career as a window dresser and in 1964, with an in-depth knowledge of fabric and design, he was taken on as a designer for men’s clothing company, Hitman. He soon made his mark. In 1973-74, at the prestigious Sala Bianca fashion show in Florence, he presented to great acclaim bomber jackets that treated leather as a regular, everyday fabric. This penchant for using materials in unexpected contexts and combinations came to be known as a defining characteristic of his genius. In 1975, Armani and Galeotti started their own company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A., and founded the Armani label. That July, Armani launched a revolution in fashion with his unlined and unconstructed man's jacket. Completely loose and informal, the blazer offered sensual hints of the body beneath, marking a major departure from, on the one hand, the stuffy suits that straitjacketed men in the 1960s, and, on the other, the sartorial abandon of the hippie generation. The rumpled jacket was an immediate success, and a new breed of tailoring was born. Three months later, he unveiled an unstructured jacket for women. Made with traditional menswear fabrics, it was as simple and soft as the man's and bore a masculine authority. With this alternative to long, flower-child skirts and classic French tailleurs, Armani joined Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel as an emancipator of women's fashion. In 1982, Armani became the first fashion designer to appear on the cover of Time magazine since Christian Dior in the 1940s. He was one of the first designers to approach celebrities to wear his designs, beginning with then Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley in 1988. Armani also invited Hollywood stars to wear his designs at the Academy Awards, winning devotees such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster. Today, Armani extends his talent diversely, dressing Italian and English soccer teams and Alitalia airline flight attendants.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Gucci is one of the most renowned and influential luxury brands in the world today, a genuine global reference for fashion and accessories, and a benchmark for a modern, innovative business. Born on March 26, 1881 to a simple Italian leather goods maker, Guccio Gucci was a porter at the Savoy hotel in London when he first became enamored with the glamorous suitcases that the guests arrived with from all over the globe. Paying homage to his familiar roots, he eventually returned to his native Florence to work for Franzi, a tony luggage brand. Years later, Gucci was ready to strike out on his own, and in 1921 he opened his own eponymous leather goods store in Florence. Bag, Baggage, Hand luggage, Handbag, Still life, Luggage and bags, Beige, Fashion accessory, Suitcase, Shoulder bag, GUCCI LUGGAGE, 1930S GUCCI In the beginning, Gucci’s main business was making saddles and other accessories for horseback riders, always crafted from the finest of Italian leathers. His designs continued to gain popularity as he expanded further into the world of accessories, with English aristocrats becoming major fans of the up-and-coming label. Even today this equestrian flair can be seen in Gucci’s modern creations, including the beloved horse-bit detail, and the red and green woven stripe, inspired by saddle details. Guccio enlisted his three sons—Aldo, Vasco, and Rodolfo—to join the business in 1938, and they were tasked with expanding the brand’s presence, bringing Gucci to Rome and eventually Milan, in later years. Leather was hard to come by in the mid-1930s, because of sanctions against Italy, so Gucci began experimenting with alternative textiles. This led to the very first signature Gucci print: small interconnected diamonds in dark brown, woven into a tan hemp fabric. The iconic Bamboo Bag was born under similar circumstances in 1947; Gucci artisans were scrambling to find materials towards the end of World War II and discovered that they could use Japanese bamboo to craft unique bag handles. Treated with a unique and patented method, these burnished bamboo handles became synonymous with Gucci. Today, Gucci is striving to redefine Luxury for the 21st century, an ambition that since 2015 has been led by the tandem of the brand’s Creative Director, Alessandro Michele, and its CEO, Marco Bizzarri. Colorful, romantic, poetic and magical, Michele’s unique vision has met with immense critical acclaim while also creating an authentic emotional bond with younger customers.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Zara was founded by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera in 1975 as a family business in downtown Galicia in the northern part of Spain. Its first store featured low-priced lookalike products of popular, higher-end clothing and fashion. Amancio Ortega named Zara as such because his preferred name Zorba was already taken. In the next decades, Zara began aggressively expanding into global markets, which included Portugal, New York (USA), Paris (France), Mexico, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Malta, Cyprus, Norway and Israel. Today, there is hardly a developed country without a Zara store. Zara now has 2,264 stores strategically located in leading cities across 96 countries. It is no surprise that Zara, which started off as a small store in Spain, is now the world’s largest fast fashion retailer and is the flagship brand of Inditex. Its founder, Amancio Ortega, is the sixth-richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine. Today, Inditex is the world’s largest fashion group with more than 174,000 employees operating more than 7,400 stores in 202 markets worldwide, including 49 online markets. The secret to Zara’s success has largely being driven by its ability to keep up with rapidly changing fashion trends and showcase it in its collections with very little delay. From the very beginning, Zara found a significant gap in the market that few clothing brands had effectively addressed. This was to keep pace with the latest fashion trends, but offer clothing collections that are a combination of high quality and yet, are affordable. The brand keeps a close watch on how fashion is changing and evolving every day across the world. Based on latest styles and trends, it creates new designs and puts them into stores in a week or two. In stark comparison, most other fashion brands would take close to six months to get new designs and collections into the market. Zara’s unrelenting focus on the customer is at the core of the brand’s success and the heights it has achieved today. There was a fascinating story around how Zara co-creates its products, leveraging its customers’ input. In 2015, a lady named Miko walked into a Zara store in Tokyo and asked the store assistant for a pink scarf, but the store did not have any pink scarves. The same happened almost simultaneously for Michelle in Toronto, Elaine in San Francisco, and Giselle in Frankfurt, who all walked into Zara stores and asked for pink scarves. They all left the stores without any scarves – an experience many other Zara fans encountered globally in different Zara stores over the next few days. 7 days later, more than 2,000 Zara stores globally started selling pink scarves. 500,000 pink scarves were dispatched – to be exact. They sold out in 3 days.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

Kappa is an Italian high quality sportswear brand founded in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. Kappa was founded in Turin, Italy, in 1978, by Marco Boglione, as a sportswear branch of the already existing "Robe di Kappa". Founded as a sock and underwear brand in the Italian city of Turin in 1916, Kappa quickly became the “chavy” sportswear brand we know today. Robe Di Kappa was born out of the concept of casual wear that the student’s movement brought at the end of the late ’60s. The sexualised promotional material for Kappa’s notorious Jesus Jeans caused great outrage within the deeply religious country. Resulting in a court judge ordering the removal of hundreds of “religiously offensive” Kappa posters in 1973. Unsurprisingly, this controversy resulted in a great spike in interest towards the brand, by the fashion-conscious and young Europeans Maurizio Vitale, owner of Robe di Kappa, became the first person in Italy to sponsor a football team within 1979, beginning Kappa’s association with varying sports across the globe. Jason Fairclough explains, in an interview with Dazed, that Kappa first appeared in the UK during the early ’80s as Liverpool fans would bring back “French and Italian luxury sportswear brands like trophies from their European Cup away leg”. Sports sponsorships have been abundant for Kappa, with the likes of A.C. Milan, Barcelona and Red Star Belgrade football teams all repping the brand, whilst Juventus won their third Champions League final in 1996 wearing Kappa. It is not just football, however, that Kappa is associated with. In 2000 the brand partnered with the Italian Rugby Federation, 2003 resulted in a deal with Danish female rowing team ‘Guld 4’eren' and in 2016 Kappa was a major partner for sports in France, including Football, Basketball, Rugby and Handball. This emphasises the brand’s applicable diversity among its current consumers of the brand and supporters of the teams.

 Listings /  Greater Europe

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