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The History of Bulgari…
In the beginning…
Although the name Bulgari is synonymous with Italian fashion, its early history actually began in Greece. Jeweller Sotirio Bulgari started creating his masterpieces in the small Greek village of Paramythia. In 1877, he left Greece for Corfu, and then Naples, Italy. Finally, in 1881 he moved to Rome, where he founded Bulgari, the company, in 1884. He opened his second shop in Via Sistina, today a chic street on top of the Spanish Steps that is brimming with luxury brands.
The current flagship store in Via dei Condotti was opened in 1905 by Bulgari with the help of his two sons, Constantino (1889-1973) and Giorgio (1890-1966), which quickly became famous among the world’s richest.
The Bulgari design…
In the 1970s, the Bulgari lines of jewellery were made distinctive, characterised by recognisable and bold designs of thick gold links and black steel craft. That instantly made the Bulgari name more popular than ever. Each Bulgari item has a unique serial number that is registered with the company for authenticity.
International expansion…
Bulgari set up its first international stores in New York, Paris, Geneva and Monte Carlo in the 1970s. For many years the company maintained a showroom in New York’s The Pierre Hotel. Today, Bulgari has more than 230 retail locations worldwide. In America, the 16th location was recently opened in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In 1980, Bulgari’s Swiss subsidiary, Bulgari Time S.A., was founded to produce Bulgari watches. Later, in the early 1990s, Bulgari further diversified its business and launched the first Bulgari perfume line. In 2001, renowned hotel brand, Marriott International, formed a joint venture with Bulgari SpA and launched the luxury hotel brand, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts in 2001 and its first hotel opened in Milan, Italy in 2004, while the second hotel opened in Bali, Indonesia in 2006.
Later the same year, Bulgari unveiled the intricate and complex Assioma Multi Complication watch at BaselWorld; equipped with tourbillion (perpetual calendar and second time zone).
