Etro

Tartan Tray

One of the most prestigious designer-name brands in the world is Etro. Gerolamo "Gimmo" founded the company in 1968 and initially operated it as a textile design firm. Gimmo established the business to satisfy the rising textile demand in the Italian ready-to-wear sector. His wife Roberta worked as an antiques dealer, and the two enjoyed amassing vintage paisley shawls and nightgowns. Etro differs from many other fashion houses in that they have a very eclectic collection of well-loved books on everything from botany to Victorian wallpaper instead of coffee-table books on famous fashion designers and photographers. Along with bound collections of fabric swatches, they also have treasures from tribal Africa and travel guides for India. The shelves are lined with embroidered silk and cashmere, and there is inspiring art, including Pop Art and antiques, on display. Since Etro has stayed true to its core identity of patterns and vibrant collections with the family symbol that symbolizes the tree of life, the union between the depths of the earth and the infinite space of the sky, the company has endured trends and continued to be successful.