Bruno Magli () is an Italian luxury house that specializes in shoes and leather goods for men and women.

History

Founded in 1936, siblings Marino, Mario and Bruno started a small business in the basement of their home in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, after learning the art of shoemaking from their grandfather. The trio began to accept contract work until the first Magli Shoe Factory (Calzaturificio Magli) was established later that same year. In 1947 shortly after

World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...

, the company built their first manufacturing facility. In 1969, the company moved to a more modern factory in

. From the 1980s onwards, the Magli company opened over forty retail stores located throughout the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

OJ Simpson trial

The shoes were a major component of the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial. Simpson wore size 12 suede waffle Lorenzo model with soles manufactured by Silga. Sales increased thirty per cent in 1996 and fifty percent in 1997. Subsequent owners Marquee stated the association was not one they welcomed or wished for but acknowledged the increased public interest.

Acquisitions

In 2001, the Luxembourg-based investment fund Opera, half-owned by

Bulgari Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. Headquartered in Rome, the company was acquired by the French conglomera ...

, acquired a controlling interest in Bruno Magli. In 2007 Opera sold the brand to UK private equity fund Fortelus Capital, and in 2014, the Swiss fund Da Vinci Invest acquired the brand. In January 2015,

Marquee Brands Marquee Brands is an American holding company founded in 2014 which owns several brands in fashion and home cooking. Marquee Brands is sponsored by employee-owned investment management firm Neuberger Berman. It has offices in New York City and in ...

announced its acquisition of the Bruno Magli brand and related intellectual property assets from Bruno Magli S.p.A. Marquee Brands, a brand acquisition, licensing and development company, was launched by the private equity group

Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman Group LLC is an American private, independent, employee-owned investment management firm. The firm manages equities, fixed income, private equity and hedge fund portfolios for global institutional investors, advisors and high-ne ...

in September 2014. The luxury brand corporate office is now headquartered out of Marquee's

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

offices but its products will continue to be designed and produced in

References

External links

Bruno Magli official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magli, Bruno 1930 establishments in Italy Manufacturing companies based in Bologna Culture in Bologna Design companies established in 1930 Shoe companies of Italy Italian brands O. J. Simpson murder case