Benetton

Considered one of the most successful haute couture Italian fashion brands in the world, Benetton produces over 150 million garments every year, with over 64,000 stores in over 120 countries. Its monetary turnover equals almost 2 billion dollars each year. Based in Ponzano Veneto, a comune in Italy, the brand takes its name from the four Benetton siblings who formed it in 1965.

The family journey to international success began in 1960. The eldest of the siblings, Luciano Benetton, was at the time working as a salesman in Ponzano. It's said that Luciano was inspired to enter the world of fashion design after his sister knit him a yellow sweater. And, after observ

ing that there was an obvious market for bright, colorful clothing, he sold his younger brother's bicycle to buy his first knitting machine.

From that day forward, he was determined to open his own business. The sweaters that he sold out of various shops had only a small reach at first, but after his Italian brand fashion sweaters enjoyed immense popularity from the public, the money brought in allowed Benetton to buy a factory and open his first store in Belluno. He also invited his sister and two younger brothers to join him, and in 1965, the Benetton Group was born.

Afterwards, the group's reach began extended to Paris three years following, where they opened another store. Following that, a set of highly controversial marketing by photographer Oliviero Toscani for the Benetton "United Colors" campaign, bolstered the company to unprecedented popularity. The ads, though not advertising any of Benetton's products specifically, brought enough publicity to the brand to ensure the fashion line’s long exposure to the scrutiny of the public eye. The ads still remain a controversial topic of discussion even today, and the Benetton brand still uses the same type of controversial ads to identical effect.