The Etro story began 40 years ago when a young, entrepreneurial Gimmo Etro set up as a producer of luxurious textiles. In 1981 he unveiled his first line of furnishing textiles, with the paisley design as its distinguishing feature. Production then branched into leather and into paisley jacquard woven handbags and travel bags. Home accessories followed and, at the end of the 1980s, Etro launched Etro Perfumes, a division which has since blossomed into 22 fragrances and a dedicated boutique. The women’s and men’s pret-a-porter collections made their debut in the 1990s, and were characterised by inventiveness and the family’s love of travel – themes which, along with artful use of print and colour and fine craftsmanship, run through the collections to this day. The company is now managed by Gimmo’s four children: Jacopo, Kean, Ippolito and Veronica, each one responsible for a different division. Currently Etro has 200 boutiques worldwide, of which it owns 70 outright. At the opening of the new Bond Street boutique in London, LUCY REITER caught up with Kean and Veronica Etro, and asked them what’s important to the Etro brand today
A new system for cataloguing and storing wardrobes has been developed by three
entrepreneurial women who found that they couldn’t keep tabs on their clothes. Olesya Sanchez described to KATE PATRICK how Vault Couture works
Regular columnists Chris Sanderson and Martin Raymond from The Future Laboratory start the year with some brands, products and offers that are set to become must-have and do ‘little luxuries’ for 2012.
Personal fragrance consultancy Parfum Parfait advises clients in their quest for the perfect perfume. Virginie Daniau, who describes herself as a ‘fragrance tailor’ and has built a career around creating fragrances for top brands, has developed a method to analyse a client’s ‘scent identity’, so she can understand the notes best suited to their style and personality. Using her instinct and experience, she helps select the right scents from her range of 250 fragrances, which include big-name perfume houses, celebrity brands and niche, artisan brands. A great alternative to being sprayed in the eye at your local department store.
