Etro

Gimmo Etro started the company in 1968 as a textile design workshop in Milan. The business gained momentum from an unusual source: Gimmo and his wife Roberta built one of the largest private collections of antique shawls in the world, some 300 pieces. Those shawls became a creative wellspring. In 1981, after a trip to India, Gimmo introduced the paisley motif that would define the house. The pattern, rooted in Mughal court textiles and 18th-century Parisian fashion, soon appeared on everything from scarves to handbags.

By the 1990s, Etro had expanded into menswear, womenswear, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings. All four of Gimmo's children joined the business: Kean took over menswear design, Veronica led womenswear, Jacopo ran the home and textile division, and Ippolito headed US operations. The family kept the company private for over five decades, making it one of the last independent Italian luxury houses alongside Ferragamo.

That changed in July 2021, when L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by LVMH, bought a 60% stake valuing Etro at roughly €500 million. The Etro family retained 40% until December 2025, when they sold their remaining shares, ending 57 years of family ownership. The brand continues to operate from its Milan headquarters on Via Spartaco, producing colorful, eclectic collections that still lean heavily on that paisley signature. [edit]