Etro Explained

Type:Private
Industry:Retail
Foundation:1968
Founder:Gimmo Etro
Location City:Milan
Location Country:Italy
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Kean Etro
Jacopo Etro
Veronica Etro
Ippolito Etro
Revenue: US$372 million (2018)[1]
Products:Clothing, footwear, handbags, jewellery, perfumes, textiles and home furnishings

Etro is a family-managed Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1968. It is mainly known for its paisley patterns, which the company started making in 1981.

History

Etro was founded in 1968 by Gerolamo "Gimmo" Etro[2] as a textile design company.[3] [4] By the time the company was born, Gimmo and his wife, Roberta, an antiques dealer, had amassed a collection of 300 antique shawls, still one of the largest private collections in existence today.[5] The main stylistic driver for Etro over its first decades was the paisley pattern, and variations on this theme. The company's headquarters is located in Milan on Via Spartaco, and was refurbished in 1977.[6] The headquarters includes textile art archived in their in-house library.[7] Future textiles head Jacopo Etro later commented on this period,[8] stating that he had started to visit the archive when he was a child, spending many hours copying the fabric designs and experimenting with his own creative style.[9] After a trip to India made by Etro executives, the furnishing textiles line made its debut in 1981.[10] The "swirling" paisley design found on this trip is now "synonymous" with the label according to Elle Magazine.[11]

The company began producing leather goods in 1984, crafted from Paisley Jacquard fabrics.[12] Etro then began its home collection in 1985.[13] The Fragrances collection was launched in 1989,[14] making its debut in the Milanese Fragrances flagship boutique, located on Via Verri. More recent additions of the line include Rajasthan[15] and Jacquard.[16] Etro's first fashion show at Milan Fashion Week was held in 1996.[17] The company began sales by direct-mail through inserts in The New York Times starting in 1999,[18] and it began selling its clothing online in addition to in retail stores in 2013.[19] In 2014, a monograph on the company's history entitled Etro was published by Rizzoli publishing house.[20]

By 2018, Etro reported $372 million in annual revenue.[21] By 2021, the company operated 140 flagships in 58 countries with boutiques in cities such as Milan, London, Paris, New York, Beijing and Tokyo.[22] That year, it also took control of its South Korean business by opening a subsidiary in Seoul.[23]

In 2021, L Catterton agreed to buy a 60% stake in Etro, in a deal valuing the company at about 500 million euros ($590 million).[24] [25] [26] In 2022, Etro appointed designer Marco De Vincenzo as its new creative director for women’s, men’s and home collections,[27] making him the brand’s first head designer from outside the Etro family.[28]

Management

Family

Etro is identified primarily with Gimmo (born Gerolamo), the founder, however the company is managed by his four children:[29]

CEOs

Collections

Menswear

The menswear collection has been presented through conceptual catwalk shows, including the 2003 Autumn/Winter collection that had guests ride on a 1937 steam train through urban Milan, with the models walking through the cabins.[39] Other pieces have included "cooked" shirts, where the pieces are dyed with berries or other food-stuffs in order to produce their intended designs.[40]

Womenswear

The womenswear line was launched in 1991.[41] For the 2016 Spring/Summer womenswear collection presented in Milan, Angelo Flaccavento wrote that it "show[ed] off the savoir-faire of her ateliers", using a ballerina-lingerie theme. He wrote further of the lighter direction the collection moved in from previous seasons that "Everything had a charming, undone quality that looked appealing and felt new".[42] The New York Times called the collection an "ode to turn-of-the-century femininity", also mentioning the strong influence of dance throughout the show.[43] From 2017 on, Veronica and Kean started showing their collections together.[44]

Etro Home

Starting in 1985, Etro added home textiles, pillows and plaids to its portfolio.[45] [46] These were followed by ceramics, gifts and wallpaper.[47] Everything is produced in-house except for furniture.

In 2014, Etro opened its first Etro Home store in Milan during the Salone del Mobile.[48] In 2017, the company entered into an agreement with Jumbo Group in Cantù for the production and distribution of furniture.[49] In 2020, Etro revealed the brand will start developing fabrics for the outdoors, to be employed in gardens or boats.[50]

Fragrances

Etro also has a line of fragrances, some using the theme of "ancient perfumery".[51] In 2024, the company and Coty signed an agreement for the production and distribution of Etro fragrance lines and home scent collections beyond 2040.[52]

Other projects

Other collections include toiletries, leathergoods, travel accessories, eyewear,[53] footwear, and jewelry.[54] In 2023, the brand signed a multiyear licensing agreement with Italian manufacturing company Simonetta to launch Etro Kids, a childrenswear line.[55]

Controversy

In a 2018 lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court, former Etro employee Kim Weiner alleged the company had been discriminating against employees on the basis of race, gender and age, arguing she herself was fired after taking a stand against the company’s biased practices.[56]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Alexandra Marshall (February 23, 2018), How An Italian Family Turned Paisley Prints And Haute-Hippe Garb Into a 50-Year-Old Fashion Legacy W
  2. Web site: Creative director at Etro takes inspiration from native textiles. 1 January 2015. South China Morning Post.
  3. Book: The Fairchild Encyclopedia of Menswear . 137 . Mary Lisa Gavenas . Fairchild Books . 2008.
  4. Book: Produktklassiker: Quintessenzen der Konsumkultur . de . 139 . Björn Stüwe . Springer-Verlag . 2009.
  5. Alexandra Marshall (August 15, 2017), The Colorful World of Etro WSJ..
  6. Web site: The Healthy Sibling Rivalry in a Design House. Christina Binkley. 26 January 2012. WSJ.
  7. News: Fashion: Raison D'Etro. The Independent. The Independent. 2 April 2014.
  8. Web site: Etro is the latest Italian fashion house to hit the block. thedeal.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140827065352/http://www.thedeal.com/content/private-equity/etro-is-the-latest-italian-fashion-house-to-hit-the-block.php. 2014-08-27.
  9. Web site: Etro: i tessuti, l'arredamento, le borse, i profumi e la moda. it. Marie Claire Italia. Marie Claire Italia. 2 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407102837/http://www.marieclaire.it/Moda/Speciale-Marie-Claire-Accessori-storia-delle-case-di-moda/Etro-i-tessuti-l-arredamento-le-borse-i-profumi-e-la-moda. 7 April 2014. dead. dmy-all.
  10. Voguepedia. Vogue. Vogue. 2 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331212113/http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Etro. 31 March 2014. dead. dmy-all.
  11. Web site: Etro Collections - Etro Runway Show Archive - ELLE. ELLE.
  12. Web site: Le Souk. lesouk.co.
  13. Web site: Etro Home Collection SS15. LuxPad.
  14. Alexandra Marshall (August 15, 2017), The Colorful World of Etro WSJ..
  15. Web site: Italians make a perfume of Rajasthan. Vogue India. Vogue India. 2 April 2014.
  16. Spring Fragrances. InStyle. InStyle. 2 April 2014. 29 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140329185421/http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/springtrends/photos/0,,20790762_20791281_30109695,00.html. dead.
  17. Web site: Italian Fashion from Etro. Allison Cawley. Peachfully Chic.
  18. Winters and Paul, 63.
  19. Web site: Etro launches e-commerce on revamped website. Harpers Bazaar. Harpers Bazaar. 3 April 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407064740/http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/latest-news/etro-launches-ecommerce. 7 April 2014.
  20. Web site: Preview Etro, a new monograph from Rizzoli. Hannah Martin. Architectural Digest.
  21. Alexandra Marshall (February 23, 2018), How An Italian Family Turned Paisley Prints And Haute-Hippe Garb Into a 50-Year-Old Fashion Legacy W
  22. Luisa Zargani (July 18, 2021), L Catterton Takes Control of Etro Women's Wear Daily.
  23. Martino Carrera (January 27, 2021), Etro Opens South Korean Subsidiary Women's Wear Daily.
  24. Elisa Anzolin and Claudia Cristoferi (April 19, 2021), Italy's Etro is considering interest from L Catterton -source Reuters.
  25. Silvia Aloisi (July 18, 2021), LVMH-backed fund to buy 60% of Italian fashion label Etro -sources Reuters.
  26. Luisa Zargani (July 18, 2021), L Catterton Takes Control of Etro Women's Wear Daily.
  27. Hannah Militano (25 February 2022), Etro Names New Creative Director, Designer Marco De Vincenzo Grazia.
  28. Laura Rysman (11 June 2022), What Would Happen if Fashion Actually Slowed Down? New York Times.
  29. Web site: Etro. The Cut.
  30. News: In each neighbourhood there lies a special shop. The New York Times. 2 April 2014.
  31. News: Profile in Style: Kean Etro. The New York Times. Armand Limnander. 3 April 2014.
  32. Web site: A conversation with Veronica Etro. Vogue Italia. 2 April 2014.
  33. News: Little Black Book: Veronica Etro. The Daily Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph. 3 April 2014.
  34. News: The Collector. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083118/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/article196070.ece. dead. April 7, 2014. The Sunday Times. Antonio Nieto. 3 April 2014.
  35. Web site: Ippolito Etro to Exit Family Business to Pursue ‘New Horizons’. Business of Fashion. Robin Mellery-Pratt. 2 April 2014.
  36. News: Succession Problems Make Them Targets for Acquisition : Can Italy Houses Stay Alive?. The New York Times. 2 April 2014.
  37. Luisa Zargani (9 September 2021), EXCLUSIVE: Etro Appoints Fabrizio Cardinali CEO Women's Wear Daily.
  38. Claudia Cristoferi (9 September 2021), Italian fashion group Etro picks new CEO after L Catterton takeover Reuters.
  39. Web site: Treni, banche e fabbriche per le sfilate della moda maschile. Corriere della Sera. 2 April 2014.
  40. Web site: Kean Eye . 94 . Michael Slenske . Best Life . June 2008.
  41. Book: Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry . 70 . Francesca Sterlacci Purvin and Joanne Arbuckle . Scarecrow Press . 2007.
  42. Web site: Etro's Pale Damsels. The Business of Fashion.
  43. News: At Etro, Beauty Fit For Ballet . The New York Times . September 25, 2015 . Laura Rysman.
  44. Alexandra Marshall (August 15, 2017), The Colorful World of Etro WSJ..
  45. Book: Where to Wear London . 70 . John Graham . Where to Wear International Ltd . 2005.
  46. Luisa Zargani (October 14, 2020), Etro Further Developing Its Home Line Women's Wear Daily.
  47. Luisa Zargani (October 14, 2020), Etro Further Developing Its Home Line Women's Wear Daily.
  48. Web site: The Business: Jacopo Etro. https://web.archive.org/web/20140415125403/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/design/30674/the-business-jacopo-etro.html. dead. 2014-04-15. Telegraph.co.uk.
  49. Luisa Zargani (October 14, 2020), Etro Further Developing Its Home Line Women's Wear Daily.
  50. Luisa Zargani (October 14, 2020), Etro Further Developing Its Home Line Women's Wear Daily.
  51. Web site: Etro launch Marquetry and Io Myself. basenotes.net.
  52. Sandra Salibian (20 February 2024), Coty and Etro Ink Long-term Beauty License Women's Wear Daily.
  53. Book: Brandstand: Strategies for Retail Brand Building . 57 . Peggy Fincher Winters and Carole Paul . Visual Reference Publications . 2002.
  54. News: The Daily Jewel: Etro . The New York Times . September 25, 2015 . Alexa Brazilian.
  55. Sandra Salibian (3 May 2023), Etro to Introduce Kids Line Women's Wear Daily.
  56. Jonah Engel Bromwich and Vanessa Friedman (August 30, 2018), Lawsuit Accuses the Italian Fashion House Etro of Discrimination New York Times.

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