Co-founder of Benetton dies
Gilberto Benetton, one of the four founding siblings of the iconic Benetton fashion brand known as much for its provocative ad campaigns as its colourful knitwear, died on Monday evening at age 77, his family announced.
The family said Benetton’s wife, Lalla, two daughters, Barbara and Sabrina, and son-inlaw Ermanno were by his side at his home in the northern city of Treviso, near where the fashion company is based. The news agency ANSA said he had suffered an undisclosed illness.
Gilberto, along with siblings Carlo, Luciano and Giuliana, founded Benetton as a knitwear company in 1965, transforming it into a global brand that sustained steady growth in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, only to suffer the competition from fast-fashion in the 2000s. The company has gone through multiple relaunches and management changes over the last decade or so.
Benetton’s ad campaigns have challenged racial, religious and gender stereotypes, often courting controversy.
Over the years, the family became increasingly involved in financial investments through the Edizione holding company, which Gilberto was instrumental in creating 30 years ago.
The family also lost Carlo, the youngest of the four siblings, who died in the summer at age 74. —