BERLUTI

Berluti is a men's shoe brand from Paris , France. It was founded in 1895 by Italian shoemaker Alexandro Berluti . It now sells shoes, bags, wallets, custom clothing, ready-to-wear and accessories. It is affiliated with LVMH, the world's largest luxury group . The Venezia leather and Patina ancient dyeing techniques developed by Berluti in the 1980s are two iconic techniques of its products.

Brand History

The brand's founder, Alessandro Berluti (1865-1922), was born in Senigallia, a small village in northeastern Italy . He was an apprentice carpenter when he was young, but became a shoemaker because he was interested in shoe lasts . He left Italy at the age of 19 to seek development opportunities and met a street theater troupe on the road. During the years-long journey, he traveled around with the troupe while making performance shoes for the troupe members.

At the age of 30, Alessandro Berluti arrived in Paris, France, established his personal brand "Berluti" , and named the first pair of shoes designed by the brand after his own name "Alessandro" . Five years later, Berluti's custom leather shoes were unveiled at the Paris World Expo, attracting many celebrities to become its customers, including American dancer Isadora Duncan , Canadian-American entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden , Polish-American industrialist Helena Rubenstein , etc.

After Alessandro's death, his son Torello Berluti (1885-1959) inherited the family business. Torello was born and raised in Italy and learned shoemaking at a young age. He settled in Paris in 1928 and opened the first Berluti workshop and store on Mont Thabor Street . As the brand's fame continued to grow, Berluti leather shoes gradually became popular among the upper class, such as the Duke of Windsor (later Edward VIII) of the United Kingdom. In the 1940s, the number of orders increased day by day, and in order to obtain more working space, the Berluti workshop moved to 26 Marbeuf Street , close to the Champs Elysees, which is now the Berluti headquarters .

Torello's son, Talbinio Berluti , is the third generation heir of the family. He has been learning the family business since he was 14 years old and has run a workshop with his father. As a young man born in the post-war period, he has a sense of reform and innovation and is committed to the international development of the brand. According to Torello's idea, Berluti launched its first ready-made shoe series in 1959 , using the advantages of production time and cost to attract more young customers.

The Bertuli brand developed rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, and the fourth-generation heir Olga Bertuli gradually participated in the family business. She learned shoemaking in the workshop from 1959 to 1969, and during this period she made a pair of loafers for American artist Andy Warhol . This shoe was named "Andy Loafer" and is one of Berluti's classic styles.

In the 1980s, Olga Berluti invented Venezia leather and Patina dyeing techniques, creating two iconic crafts of the brand: Venezia leather is processed by natural mineral tanning method, with a lacquer-like luster; on this basis, Patina dyeing introduces rich colors into the world of men's shoes. In 1990, Olga Berluti became the first female artistic director of the family brand.

LVMH Group acquired the Berluti brand in 1993, prompting the company to expand its business. In 2005, Berluti launched its first leather goods series, including handbags, wallets, belts and accessories. Berluti's earliest leather handbags were called Deux Jours series and Trois Nuits series, which were suitable for men's two-day and three-night business trips. Today, the products have been expanded to travel bags, tote bags, messenger bags, backpacks, etc.

Alessandro Sartori became the artistic director of Berluti in 2011 and released the first men's ready-to-wear collection the following year. In June 2012, Berluti acquired the French haute couture brand Arnys; in October, Antoine Arnault , a director of the LVMH Group , became the company's CEO . Since 2013, Berluti has opened boutiques in Paris, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York and other places.

·Chronology of major events·