Brand Names in the world

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About Lacoste

Rene Lacoste entered the legend of tennis when he and his team-mates "The Musketeers", stole the Davis Cup away from the Americans for the first time, in 1927. Not forgetting his 3 French Open victories, his two victories in Great Britain, and his two U.S. Open titles at Forest Hills.

Rene Lacoste was born in France on July 2nd 1904 and died on October 12th 1996. The true story of the "Alligator" begins in 1927. René Lacoste liked to recount how his nickname became an emblem recognized throughout the world.

I was nicknamed "the Alligator" by the American press, after I made a bet with Captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a very important match for out team. The public must have been fond of this nickname which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey!

So my friend Robert George drew an alligator which I then had embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts.

An attentive spectator at René Lacoste's Davis Cup matches was the winner of the British Women's golf title, Mademoiselle Simone Thion de la Chaume, who soon became his wife and constant support.

In 1933 Rene Lacoste and André Gillier, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm of that time, set up a company to manufacture the logo-embroidered shirt. The champion had designed this for his own use on the tennis court, as well as a number of other shirts for tennis, golf, and sailing -- as can be seen in the first catalogue, produced in 1933.

To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that a brand name appeared on the outside of an article of clothing and idea which has since become extremely successful.

This shirt revolutionized men's sportswear and replaced the woven fabric, long -- sleeved, starched classic shirts. The first Lacoste shirt was white, slightly shorter than its counterparts, had a ribbed collar, short sleeves with ribbed brands and was made of a light knitted fabric called "Jersey petit pique". It continues to offer the same quality, comfort and solidity on which it built its name and which constitute its uniqueness.

About Yves Saint Laurent

Born in 1936, Yves Saint Laurent grew up in Oran, Algeria. At 17, he left for Paris where he showed his drawings to Michel de Brunhoff, director of Vogue, who published several of them immediately. Following a stint at fashion school, Saint Laurent was introduced to Christian Dior by de Brunhoff and he went on to work for Dior until his death in 1957.

After taking over as art director for Dior, Saint Laurent launched his first collection for the company, the Ligne Trapéze, that year. It was a resounding success the world over and won him a Neiman Marcus Oscar. In 1960, Saint Laurent created his revolutionary "Beat Look" collection which used couture techniques to refine streetstyle. However, his dramatic designs were too much for the house of Dior and a year later they lifted bars on his national service.

When he returned from service in 1962, Saint Laurent set up his own fashion house with Pierre Bergé and continued to rock the establishment. In 1966, he introduced le smoking, his legendary smoking suit, which prompted the consequent androgynous revolution. He is now credited with a range of other innovations including the reefer jacket (1962), the sheer blouse (1966), and the jumpsuit (1968), as well as ready-to-wear culture as a whole.

In October 1998, Yves Saint Laurent showed his last ready-to-wear collection for the Rive Gauche label he had founded more than 30 years before. But, according to a sorrowful spokeswoman, the 61-year old designer was simply too overwrought to take his final bow. US designer Alber Elbaz was hand-picked to succeed him, but found that his career there was swiftly terminated after the Italian fashion Gucci bought full control of the business at the end of 1999 and handed the reins to powerhouse designer Tom Ford. Yves Saint Laurent retained control of the haute couture business and continues to show in Paris each season. These days, the reach of the Saint Laurent empire he founded and sold on is vast: the company produces menswear, furs, jewellery, perfumes and a range of accessories, all of which are distributed worldwide.

During his career, Saint Laurent was arguably the industry's greatest designer. Over the years, he received countless accolades: in 1985, he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by President François Mitterand; in 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honour, finally becoming a Commandeur six years later. His status as a national icon was also cemented when, at the final of the 1998 World Cup, near Paris, 300 models presented a retrospective of YSL creations, to celebrate the designer's forty years in fashion, in front of 80,000 football fans and more than 170 international sports channels.

In January 2002, the 65-year-old designer announced his retirement. Paying tribute to his mentors, including Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Chanel, he revealed that his decision was based on a disgust with an industry that had become ruled more by commercial gain than art. "I have nothing in common with this new world of fashion, which has been reduced to mere window-dressing," he said. "Elegance and beauty have been banished." The news came just 16 days before he presented his final haute couture collection. In a fitting end to his 40-year career, the show constituted a thorough retrospective of his work: over an hour and a half long, it featured over 250 outfits, 40 of them new designs, and 100 models. A tearful Yves Saint Laurent took his final bow as his long-time muse, Catherine Deneuve, sang Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour.

About Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren, born Ralph Lifshitz, in 1939 in the Bronx, NY, studied art and design at the City College of New York and business at City College in Manhattan. A student by night, he worked for a necktie manufacturer during the day. After a tour of military duty, he was married and had three children.

Lauren's experience in the necktie market led him to a staggering idea. Why not make them wider? With this idea and some financing, he founded the Polo label in 1967. He founded Polo Fashions of New York with the quote.

"A tie was the way a man expressed himself. I believed that men were ready for something new and different. They didn't want to look as if they worked for IBM. A beautiful tie was an expression of quality, taste, style."

The name Polo came from a sport that embodies a world of discreet elegance and style.

In 1970, Ralph Lauren won the Coty Award for Menswear. He continued that decade by releasing a daring line of suit for women tailored in a classic men's style. The Polo player?s emblem was first seen on the cuff of one of these woman's suits. In 1972 Polo?s famous short sleeve mesh shirt appeared with the omnipresent Polo player logo. Debuting in 24 colors it offered variet, quality and style and became an overnight classic. A line of copy from an original ad read "Every team has its color-Polo has 24".

Ralph Lauren continued to gain recognition for his clothing design after he was contracted to provide clothing styles for the movie The Great Gatsby. An immaculately dressed Robert Redford appeared in his daring pink suit.

During the 1970's, Men's fragrances began to be taken more seriously as a marketing category. Several companies entered the market to give men an array of products to choose from. Ralph Lauren's contributions were Polo for Men After Shave Balm, Polo Cologne for Men, Polo Crest for Men, Polo Sport Cologne, Polo Sport Extreme Cologne, Romance Cologne for Men, Safari Cologne for Men, as well as the Rodeo, Haute, and Premiere Collections for Women.

In 1983 Ralph Lauren debuts his Home Collection of towels, bedding, rugs and table coverings. Over time this line evolves to include crafted home furniture.

In 1992 Audrey Hepburn presents Ralph Lauren with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999 Ralph Lauren announces a corporate gift of $13 million to Save America's treasures and preserve the Star Spangled Banner.

In the year 2000, Ralph Lauren media launched Polo.com; the first luxury designed e-commerce web site in the US.

Ralph Lauren is not only creative in the "product" sense, he also realizes that packaging and presentation are of paramount importance. Some of his most popular fragrance products are favorites today. Product such as:

Glamorous for Women, 2001. Glamourous Perfume by Ralph Lauren contains a rich blend of pearl flower, plumeria, lily, ginger flowers, tuberose, Siam wood, Cashmere musk, and vetiver.

Lauren Perfume for Women is a signature blend of rose, marigold, violet, jasmine, pineapple, carnation, lily of the valley, lilac, vetiver, and cedarwood.

Polo for Men After Shave Balm. was created by Ralph Lauren in 1978. Polo for Men is a sharp blend of leather, wood, tobacco, basil, and oakmoss.

Polo Cologne for Men was created by Ralph Lauren in 1978. Polo Cologne is a sharp blend of leather, wood, tobacco, basil, and oakmoss.

Polo Crest for Men was created by Ralph Lauren in 1991. Polo Crest Cologne is a unique blend of jasmine, basil, patchouli, fir balsam, vetiver, and oakmoss.

Lauren is considered one of the first designers to sell "lifestyle", taking fashion beyond a single item of clothing like a dress or a pair of pants. His fashions encompassed It was the whole look and everything that goes with it; colognes, perfumes, cosmetics, accessories, sheets, drapes, and even paint!

About Hugo Boss

So what of the boss man himself? Hugo Boss first started manufacturing menswear in Germany in 1923. The name Hugo Boss has been attached with fragrances since 1993.

In common with many German firms of the 1920's Hugo Boss was forced into bankruptcy during the deep German depression. In fact, Hugo Boss struggled until he spotted a gap in a growing area of the German clothing market in the 1930's and early 1940's. He started designing and manufacturing uniforms to be used by the German SS, Nazi Storm Troopers and outfits for the Hitler Youth movement. Worse, it appears that he probably volunteered to use slave labour with which to produce his garments.

Following the war, some reports suggest that Boss was fined 80,000 marks and lost the right to vote because of his shady dealings with the Nazis. In 1953, Boss started making men's suiting, and by the early 70's the Boss brand had distinctly moved upmarket.

!n 1991, the Boss business was sold to an Italian clothing company, the Marzotto Group. Today, the group has a yearly Euro 1.7 Billion turnover, and Hugo Boss represents 60% of their market. The company also own the Valentino and Marlboro Classics brands. Most clothing and textile manufacturing is undertaken in the former Eastern Europe. The Boss family have no connection with the firm today.

The perfume business with the name Hugo Boss meanwhile is perhaps suitably owned and manufactured by that bogey multinational Proctor and Gamble.

About Adidas

In 1925, in a small German village, the world got it's first taste of Adidas. It was there, in a village by the name of Herzogenaurach, located 12 miles to the north and the west of Nuremberg, that those simple three stripes were brought to life by adidas' founder, Adolf "Adi" Dassler. Adi created adidas after realizing the need for performance athletic shoes.

Adidas began small, producing soccer and running shoes, which ironically enough are still the main products that adidas is known for. Adidas has continued to gain momentum through the years. Many attribute this to adidas' quality, styling and reputation. Adidas is currently the largest supplier of athletic shoes in Europe. Adidas ranks second worldwide, with their products selling in almost 200 countries. In 1994 alone, adidas sales totaled 3 billion dollars. In late 1995, adidas went public with its stock. It was a tremendous success and continues to trade internationally. Adidas posted an amazing 40% increase in net sales in the first half of 1997.

The Dassler family has a rich heritage in shoes. Adi's brother, Rudolf went on to create the puma brand in 1948 after a dispute with Adi. And, another Adi Dassler, who just happens to be the grandson of the founder of adidas, has launched his own shoe company, A. D. One. which specializes in adventure and sub-urban footware.

About Alfani

Alfani is a private lable introduced around 2003 by Federated Department Stores Inc. This private brand has expanded rapidly since then to other department stores such as May, Macy's, JCPenny's.

About Baby Phat

Russell Simmon's founded "Phat Farm," a line of men's sportswear in 1992, only a year after he began producing his popular "Def Comedy Jam" for HBO.

Phat Farm launched the Baby Phat line in 2000. Since then, Baby Phat has expanded from hip t-shirts and jackets to a full line of apparel, jewelry, footwear and accessories.

Baby Phat, a line of women's apparel, was founded when Russell Simmons decided to add a little spark to his "Phat Farm" runway shows by adding micro tees emblazoned with the words "Baby Phat."

The Baby Phat shirts became popular when models Tyra Banks and Claudia Schiffer began wearing them. The incredible demand for the Baby Phat tees inspired an entire line of Baby Phat apparel, which now includes clothing, accessories and footwear for juniors, plus sizes and girls.

About Ben Sherman

Ben Sherman dominates the men's branded apparel market being the 4th largest casual wear brand in the UK. The company has grown from a fledgling shirt manufacturer to a worldwide men's fashion brand and has introduced womenswear, youthwear, childrenswear and shoes-british soles.

This phenomenal company's product offer is enhanced by belts, bags, sunglasses, underwear and leatherwear produced under license by top specialists. Ben Sherman's marketing strategy, playing on the heritage of the brand, makes it the new cool apparel company.

Super groups such as Brit-pop Blur and Oasis, as well as MTV host Carson Daly, Fatboy Slim, Superstar Moby, Bare Naked Ladies, Incubus and many other musicians and celebrities are avid Ben Sherman followers.

Ben Sherman began making shirts in the 50's from a small factory in Brighton, England, employing only 10 people. In 1963 the company took on the name of its founder and began the first production run of the infamous button-down collared shirt.

Mr. Sherman opened his first retail outlet next to the factory in the same year and the "Ben Sherman cult" was born. The shirts were adopted by the youth movements of the day, none more so than the scooter-riding mods.

Aspiring to a smart tailored look influenced by sharp, modern Italian tailoring, the brand became a trademark of their style. Soon after, a Ben Sherman Original shirt became the "in" shirt; it had become a status symbol.

In the late sixties and early seventies the youth culture made Ben Sherman a part of their essential uniform to be worn with Levi's and a pair of Doc Martens. Without "the shirt" one was considered a second rate Mod, but with a Ben Sherman one had instant "cool" appeal.

Ben Sherman was also the first to introduce skateboards to the UK in the mid 60's. Music groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Police, The Kinks and many others were outfitted in Ben Sherman.

Ben Sherman eventually left the company that he founded in the UK in the early 70's. He moved to Australia and launched the brand there with great success. In the 1980's and 1990's Ben Sherman continued its success to its current status today.

The phenomenal success of the Ben Sherman brand within its home market is being repeated throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Driven from its Times Square Showroom in New York, Ben Sherman is rapidly becoming the must-have brand for leading stores throughout the United States.

Today, Ben Sherman is challenging the traditional American menswear giants. Significant export potential has become evident by key buyers seeking to be the first to introduce Ben Sherman to their markets throughout the world. A far cry from its modest beginnings, Ben Sherman is now established as a world-class lifestyle brand. A true British success story!

About Liz Claiborne

Liz Claiborne Inc. was founded in 1976 by original partners Liz Claiborne, Art Ortenberg, Leonard Boxer and Jerome Chazen. Liz Claiborne Inc. designs and markets an extensive range of women's and men's fashion apparel and accessories appropriate to wearing occasions ranging from casual to dressy.

The Company also markets fragrances for women and men. Liz Claiborne Inc.'s brands include Axcess, Bora Bora, Candie's, Claiborne, Crazy Horse, Curve, Dana Buchman, Ellen Tracy, Elisabeth, Emma James, First Issue, J.H. Collectibles, Juicy Couture, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Liz Claiborne, Lucky Brand, Mambo, Marvella, Mexx, Monet, Monet 2, Realities, Sigrid Olsen, Trifari and Villager. In addition, Liz Claiborne Inc. holds the exclusive, long-term license to produce and sell men's and women's collections of DKNYŽ Jeans and DKNYŽ Active, as well as CITY DKNYŽ better women's sportswear in the Western Hemisphere. The Company also has the exclusive license to produce women's wear under the Kenneth Cole New York and Reaction Kenneth Cole brand names.

About Calvin Klein

A pioneer of designer jeans, underwear and the wholesome, all-American look, Calvin Klein is one of the fashion world's biggest names - and brands. Born in 1942, Calvin Klein taught himself how to sketch and sew as a boy. He went on to win a place at New York's High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology and finally launched his own label, in partnership with childhood friend Barry Schwartz, in 1968.

Dubbed 'Calvin the Conqueror' by WWD and listed as one of America's 25 most influential people by Time, Klein has helped shape the casualwear industry and played a key role in modern advertising. He caused a storm of controversy when he had Richard Avedon photograph a pubescent Brooke Shields for his 1979 jeans campaign under the slogan, "You know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." British waif Kate Moss was to follow, helping to launch his unisex perfume cK one, one of nine Klein perfume lines.

In October 1999, Klein shocked the fashion world once again, when he announced that he was considering selling his fashion house. He was, he said, looking to develop his company "through sale, merger or strategic alliance". Seven months later, after reported talks with Tommy Hilfiger and others came to nothing, Klein confirmed that he had taken his $1 billion fashion house off the market.

The recipient of many industry awards, including the title of America's Best Designer of 1993, Klein is also on numerous committees, including the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Now divorced from socialite and photographer Kelly Klein, he has one daughter, Marci. He presents his collections in New York.

About DKNY (Donna Karan)

Perhaps most famous for inventing "the body", one of the most practical items of clothing to come out of the Eighties, Donna Karan is now one of the most recognisable names in American fashion.

Born Donna Faske in Forest Hills, NY, in 1948, to a model mother and a haberdasher father, Donna was obsessed with fashion from an early age. After two years at Parsons School of Design, she went to work at Anne Klein, making moderately priced sportswear. In 1971, she became associate designer and, after Klein died in 1974, co-designer with Louis Dell'Olio. Ten years later, and with the support of her husband Steven Weiss, Karan founded Donna Karan New York.

Launched in 1985, her first collection, though not radical, delivered a system of dressing entirely new to those used to Eighties power suits. She combined elements of tailoring with sportswear to ensure clothes were "user-friendly and luxurious", as well as deeply flattering. Her clothes are rarely headline-grabbing, but always easy-to-wear in a luxurious blend of cashmeres and Lycras and a sophisticated palette dominated by blues and blacks. Karan is also regarded as being one of the chief innovators of the bridge line: in 1988, she introduced the cheaper DKNY label in an attempt to dress her daughter, Gaby. Today, Karan's company also produces menswear, jeans, accessories, hosiery, fragrance and cosmetics.

In April 2001, Karan announced that she had sold her company, Donna Karan International, to French luxury conglomerate LVMH for almost $250 million in cash. LVMH had previously acquired Karan's license-holding company, Gabrielle Studio, bringing the total value of the sale to $643 million. Following the news, LVMH decided to relocate this most American of American companies to Italy.

About Nike

1962 Bill Bowerman, a track coach at the University of Oregon, and Phil Knight, an accounting student and middle-distance runner, had the dream of bringing low-priced, high-tech athletic shoes from Japan to the U.S. At the time German shoes dominated the industry. That year, after entering business together, shoes from Onitsuka Tiger (now ASICS) were sold in the U.S. by Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

1965 Jeff Johnson, a former rival on the track of Knight's, joined as the company's first full time salesman. He was busy selling shoes out of the back of his van to High Schoolers at track meets. Then in 1966, at 3107 Pico Blvd., in Santa Monica, California, Johnson opened the company's first retail outlet.

Bowerman's desire to improve on Tiger's designs, and Knight's drive to do more landed them with a new direction. Johnson gave this new company the name Nike and Bowerman gave them new designs. After forty years, Nike is now a leader in the sports and fitness industry.

1971 Nike's Swoosh design logo was created by Portland State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson when asked by Knight. He needed a logo to put on the side of his company's shoes. At the time she was paid the sum of $35 (US), and also worked for Nike for a few years until they needed a full ad agency. Twelve years later, in 1983, Ms. Davidson recieved a gold Swoosh ring with an embedded diamond at a luncheon honoring her, along with a certificate and an undisclosed amount of Nike stock, in recognition of the Swoosh design logo.

1978 Nike's Air technology is introduced in the Tailwind running shoe. Gas-filled plastic membranes are inserted into the sole of running shoes to provide cushioning.

1980 Nike completes an initial public offering of 2,377,000 shares of Class B common stock.

1982 The Air Force 1 basketball shoe becomes the first Nike court shoe to make use of the Air technology.

1984 Nike signs Michael Jordan to an endorsement contract and releases the first model of his signature shoe, the Air Jordan, in 1985. Originally, the NBA banned this new shoe, drawing a tremendous amount of publicity. The introduction of the Air Jordan shoe was a key event in Nike's successful development.

1986 Nike revenues surpass $1 billion for the first time.

1987 The Air Max shoe is introduced, which uses a much larger Air cushioning unit, and for the first time is visible at the side of the midsole. This was the first of many generations of Air Max-branded technologies. A television ad featuring the Beatles' song "Revolution" was the first and remains the only time that a song performed by the Beatles was used in a TV ad.

Late 1980s Nike's "Just Do It" slogan and trademark Swoosh achieve unmatched branding thanks to the help of professional athlete endorsements.

1989 Nike introduces a new type of footwear designed specifically for cross-training, and features two-sport athlete Bo Jackson in a series of memorable ads called "Bo Knows."

1990 Nike opens the first Niketown store in downtown Portland, Ore., and the store quickly earns numerous retail design and business awards. Over the next 10 years, Nike will open 14 more Niketown stores across the USA and in England and Germany.

1993 Nike introduces an innovative sustainability program, Reuse-A-Shoe, which collects athletic shoes, separates and grinds them up into Nike Grind. which is used in the making of athletic courts, tracks and fields.

1994 Nike signs a long-term partnership with the Brazilian national football (soccer) team, launching a company-wide effort to become the world's leading football brand.

1996 Nike signs Eldrick "Tiger" Woods soon after the young golfing phenom gives up his amateur status. Woods becomes the standard bearer for Nike Golf as that division gains market share.

1996 Nike opens Niketown New York, its signature 'flagship' store located in midtown Manhattan.

1998 Phil Knight formally commits Nike to strict standards for manufacturing facilities used by Nike, including: minimum age; air quality; mandatory education programs; expansion of microloan program; factory monitoring; and enhanced transparency of Nike's corporate responsibility practices.

1999 Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, dies on Dec. 24 at age 88.

2000 Introduction of the Shox athletic shoe technology.

2003 Nike made a successful bid to buy bankrupt rival Converse Shoes for $305 million.

2003 For the first time in the company's history, international sales exceed USA sales, as Nike continues to develop into a truly global company.

2003 Nike is named "Advertiser of the Year" by the Cannes Advertising Festival, the first company to earn that honor twice (also 1994) in the festival's 50-year history.

2003 High school basketball star LeBron James signs with Nike, while Syracuse University star Carmelo Anthony signs with Jordan Brand. James and Anthony finish 1-2, respectively, in rookie-of-the-year balloting.

2004 Phil Knight retires from the CEO position at 66 after 32 years at Nike, but continues as chairman. Knight is replaced by William D. Perez as CEO of Nike, effective Dec. 28.

2004 Annual revenues exceed $13 billion.

2005 Nike launches the Air Jordan XX, the 20th edition of the iconic Air Jordan basketball shoe series.