BENETTON
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ESTEE LAUDER
LOUIS VUITTON
In the series “The Story Behind the Brand,” we trace how ordinary people achieve global recognition.
In the section “The Story Behind the Brand,” we present the journey of an ordinary person to worldwide recognition.
Luciano Benetton was born in Italy in 1935. When he was 14, his father died. The family faced financial difficulties, and the boy started working as a sales assistant in a local shop.
One day, Luciano went to work wearing a sweater knitted by his sister in a bright colour that did not go unnoticed. Most people in post-war Italy dressed in dark colours, while youngsters wore yellow. The young Benetton’s commercial intuition helped him realise that colourful sweaters could be a successful market niche.
To start their own business, Luciano and the other two children in the family — his sister Giuliana and his brother Carlo — needed knitting machines. The three sold their most valuable possessions: a bicycle (Luciano), a piano (Giuliana), and an accordion (Carlo). With combined efforts, they managed to buy everything necessary and began working.
The brand’s first collection consisted of yellow, blue, and green sweaters — thus, the idea for United Colors of Benetton was born. Over the years, the brand established itself on the market, and today Benetton owns factories and stores all over the world.