Krizia

Krizia
IndustryLuxury fashion
Founded1954; 70 years ago (1954)
Milan, Italy
FounderMariuccia Mandelli
Headquarters
Milan
,
Italy
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsWomen’s ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry, leather goods, shoes, perfumes
OwnerZhu Chongyun
ParentShenzhen Marisfrolg
WebsiteKrizia.it

Krizia is a designer label and manufacturer of ladies' handbags, clothing, footwear and perfumes.[1] The ready-to-wear fashion label was established in 1954 in Milan, Italy, by Mariuccia Mandelli (1925–2015).[2][3] Her husband Aldo Pinto was chairman of the company.[4]

History

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Mandelli unveiled her first black-and-white collection at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy, in 1964, which earned her a Critica della Moda award.[2] The brand's first and historic location was on Via della Spiga, 23 in Milan.[5] Under Mandelli, Krizia rapidly expanded during the 1960s and 1970s.[2] In 1971, Krizia released a version of shorts cut "very short", an early form of hot pants.[2] Every year, Mandelli would knit a different animal on selected items of her collection.[6]

In 1985, Krizia opened a private art showroom (Spazio Krizia) on Via Manin, 21, in Milan.[4] At its height, in the 1990s, the fashion house was doing half a billion dollars of annual business.[7] It was while at the helm of Krizia that Mandelli introduced the high fashion world to hot pants.[8][9] In 1992, the company launched its affordable brand MM by Krizia, a year after its licence-holder Hartmarx suggested it.[10] In 1995, the company was trialed in the USA, along with many other Italian fashion brands, for "bribing tax officers in exchange for lenient audits".[11] In Italy, the investigation was handled by Mani pulite's magistrate Antonio Di Pietro.[12]

In February 2014, Shenzhen Marisfrolg, a Chinese corporation owned by the entrepreneur and designer Zhu Chongyun, bought Krizia and Mandelli stepped down from a leadership role.[13][14] In 2015, the Via della Spiga's historic store was revamped by designer Vincenzo de Cotiis.[5] In January 2017, Simona Clemenza was named CEO of the company.[15] Two Krizia boutiques opened in China, and in March 2017, the Spazio Krizia reopened.[4] In June 2018, Clemenza left the company.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Krizia S.p.A." New York Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Mariuccia Mandelli obituary". The Guardian. 2015-12-13. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  3. ^ "Krizia Fashion Brand Founder Maria Mandelli Dies at 90". The Business of Fashion. 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  4. ^ a b c Zargani, Luisa (2017-03-24). "Krizia Plans Retail Rollout in China, Reopens Cultural Space in Milan". WWD. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  5. ^ a b Martin, JJ (2015-11-02). "Krizia joins forces with Vincenzo De Cotiis for a stark new store blueprint". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  6. ^ Morris, Bernadine (1982-03-19). "KRIZIA AND FERRE: WIT AND VISION". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  7. ^ Fox, Margalit (7 December 2015). "Mariuccia Mandelli, Italian Fashion Designer, Dies at 90". New York Times. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  8. ^ Mariuccia Mandelli obituary, nymag.com; accessed 25 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Collections". Krizia. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  10. ^ Schiro, Anne-Marie (1992-07-14). "The Spirit Is Krizia, and the Prices Are Friendly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  11. ^ "Italian Fashion Trial Postponed: The corruption trial..." Los Angeles Times. 1995-09-21. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  12. ^ Shadbolt, Peter (23 September 1994). "Bribes scandal reaches Italian fashion". UPI. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  13. ^ Luisa Zargani (24 February 2014). "Italy's Krizia Brand Sold to China's Shenzhen Marisfrolg". WWD. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  14. ^ "Chinese designer Zhu charms Milan fashion world with plans for Krizia". South China Morning Post. 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  15. ^ a b Turra, Alessandra (2018-06-21). "Krizia and CEO Simona Clemenza Part Ways". WWD. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
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