History
Master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and his business partner Gaetano Savini opened their first suit shop in Rome's Via Barberini at the end of World War II. The company was named after the Italian name for the Croatian island group, the Brijuni islands.
Brioni's first fashion show was held in 1952 at the Pitti Palace, Florence. The show gave the company exposure to clients worldwide. In 1954, Brioni held a fashion show in New York City, followed by shows in eight other American cities. That year, Brioni opened new shops on both sides of the Atlantic.
Umberto Angeloni took over as Chief Executive Officer in 1990, and started an expansion plan which saw the introduction of a womenswear line, and shops opening in locations such as Mumbai, St. Petersburg, and Baku. He also arranged for Brioni suits to appear in James Bond movies from 1995. However in 2006 the family replaced Angeloni with three joint CEO's: Antonella de Simone (descended from Fonticoli), Andrea Perrone (a descendant of Savini), and finance man Antonio Bianchini. Francesco Pesci was nominated CEO in 2010. PPR confirmed in November 2011 the acquisition of the company for an undisclosed amount estimated between 250 and 350 million euros, including 100 million euros in debt.
Read more about this topic: Brioni (fashion)
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