BENETTON by Jonathan Mantle

BENETTON is the most successful and controversial family business in the world. The company achieved recognition through their colorful designs, but it also captured the attention of the public eye for their controversial advertising campaigns such as the nun kissing a Catholic priest.
Greenpeace praises Benetton as the precursor of other successful family-owned textile companies such as Zara and H&M and all three of them for “leading the industry toward a toxic-free future with credible timelines, concrete actions, and on-the-ground implementation”.

, and each brother has a defined role: Luciano – the brain, Giuliana – the designer, Gilberto – the financial analyst and Carlo – in charge of production.

Luciano is the one to establish the foundation of the coming fortune by keeping customer needs in mind and by giving them colorful designs that were unusual at that period.
According to him, the catalyst for starting the company was the death of their father. Luciano said:

“What would have happened if my father was still alive? I have thought about this many times. I am convinced that things would have been very different. In those days, every family wanted a son who would become doctor; later it was a job in a bank.
We would not be here today.”

At the age of ten, Luciano needs to begin working, to provide for his mother and three brothers.
At the age of fourteen, Luciano gives up the school to work full-time.
At the age of thirty, Luciano, together with his brothers, starts the future company BENETTON.
Luciano “- Why don’t we start up on our own?”
Giuliana “- Because it’s too risky.”
Luciano “- Why?”
Giuliana “- Because we’re too young.”
Luciano “- You make them (the jumpers), I’ll sell them. Why not?”
Giuliana “- That’s just like you. You always say <<if you could make more>>. We’re going to have to buy a knitting machine.”
Gilberto “- Where’s the money going to come from to buy this machine?”
Carlo “- Yeah, where do we get the money?”
Luciano “- We’ll hire a knitting machine. The important thing is that we are all agreed.”

Two months later, they managed to purchase their first knitting machine. They gathered the much-needed sum of $200 by selling Luciano’s accordion, selling Gilberto’s bicycle and borrowing from relatives and friends.
And the rest is history!

Published by Little, Brown and Company, 1999