Bulgari (,[2] ; 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 conglomerate LVMH in 2011, thus becoming one of the latter's subsidiaries.
The silversmith and founder of the company Sotirios Voulgaris began his career as a jewellery vendor at his family's shop in Ottoman Epirus (now in Greece). During the 1880s, the family moved to Rome, where in 1884 Sotirios launched his company.[3] Over the years, Bulgari became an international brand, evolving into a notable player in the luxury market, with an established network of stores worldwide.[4] While the majority of design, production and marketing is overseen and executed by Bulgari, the company does, at times, partner with other entities. For example, Bulgari eyewear is produced through a licensing agreement with Luxottica, and Bulgari formed a joint venture with Marriott International in 2001 to launch its hotel brand, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, a collection of properties and resort destinations around the world.
Logo
The trademark of the company, usually written BVLGARI in the classical Latin alphabet, is derived from the surname of the company's founder, Sotirios Voulgaris (, ; 1857–1932).[5]
The BVLGARI logo was used for the first time in 1934, when its gilded brass letters graced the central doorway of the Via Condotti flagship store.[6] In reference to ancient Rome, the "U" was replaced with the letter "V". Since then, the trademark is stylized BVLGARI in the classical Latin alphabet.[5][7]
History
From its origins through the 1940s
The Voulgaris were a silversmithing family from the Ottoman-ruled village of Paramythia, Epirus (now part of Greece). Whether or not they share the same paternal line with the Voulgaris family of Corfu is unclear, but Count Stefanos Voulgaris denied that the two are genealogically related. According to chronicles of the Voulgaris family written in Venetian Corfu, the Voulgaris family of Saint Spyridon of Corfu descended from the royal figures of "barbarian" peoples who settled in Moesia near the Balkan – Haemus mountains, located in Bulgaria", including Prince Stefan Lazarević and Khan Tervel, "kings of the Triballi,[8] in the 16th century testament of the family, becoming such by taking refugee in the Venetian island Corfu.[9][10][11]
Products
Jewellery
Bulgari's jewellery collections include B.zero1, Divas' Dream, Serpenti, BVLGARI BVLGARI, Parentesi, and a bridal line.
Watches
Bulgari's watch collections include Octo, BVLGARI BVLGARI, Diagono and Haute Horlogerie creations for men, and LVCEA, Serpenti, Divas' Dream, BVLGARI BVLGARI, B.zero1 and High Jewellery timepieces for women. It mixes Italian design and Swiss watchmaking. The company's Swiss subsidiary, Bulgari Haute Horlogerie SA, is responsible for Bulgari's watch production. It was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Neuchâtel. Bulgari Haute Horlogerie SA employs about 500 people.
Fragrances
Fragrances include Goldea, Splendida and Omnia for women, BVLGARI Man, Aqua, the Classics, and Blv Pour Homme for men, as well as BVLGARI Le Gemme and Eau Parfumée.
Accessories and leather goods
The creation of Bulgari accessories and leather goods is handled in the Bulgari atelier in Florence, and twice a year presents its collections at
Bulgari hotels and resorts
In 2001, Bulgari formed a joint venture with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, a hotel brand owned by Marriott International, to launch Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, a collection of hotels and resort destinations around the world.[33] Their distinctive settings and Italian design by the architectural firm Antonio Citterio-Patricia Viel characterise the properties of Bulgari Hotel Group.
Although operated by The Ritz-Carlton Company, Bulgari hotels and resorts do not participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, meaning guests can neither earn nor redeem points for free bookings. It is currently the only Marriott brand to practice this policy, following the inclusion of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties to the program in April 2022.[34]
Accommodations
Historical
Shops
Bulgari has about 300 stores. The largest is the 10-storey Bulgari Ginza Tower in Tokyo, 940 m2 of retail floor space, including a restaurant and lounge bar.[62]
North American Bulgari boutiques (41 in the US) and distributors are found in Bal Harbour, Beverly Hills, Cabo San Lucas, Chicago, Costa Mesa, Honolulu, Houston, King of Prussia, Las Vegas (4 stores), Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City, Montreal, Orlando, Palm Beach, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, San Juan, The Mall at Short Hills, Scottsdale, Toronto, Vail and Washington D.C.[63]
South American Bulgari distributors are found in Bogotá, Lima, Margarita Island, Quito and São Paulo.[64]
Area representatives and other executives
Bulgari Art Award
The Bulgari Art Award is an annual art award in partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Sponsored by Bulgari, the $50,000 acquisitive cash award plus $30,000 residency in Italy is presented to mid-career Australian artists.[66]
The winners include:
References
- Annual Report 2010 Bulgari, retrieved 19 May 2011^
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- Sotirios Voulgaris: the Greek behind Bulgari – NEO Magazine retrieved 2024-11-03^