Conber

Company of women’s ready-to-wear fashion established in Vicenza in 1956 by Domenico, Gaetano, and Orazio Rossi, descendants of the textile dynasty of Schio. It was among the pioneers of prêt-à-porter at a time when manufacturing companies displayed little creativity. It was Orazio who decided to change this when, during a trip to Paris, he met a certain Pierre Cardin who was in serious difficulties after having trouble with his general manager, and convinced the great designer to work for Conber. For the first time, a talented designer, though not quite so famous yet, went to work for an Italian company. When Cardin, having improved his financial position, returned to Paris, the Rossi brothers called the dressmaker Maria Antonelli, whose Collections had already been presented in the Sala Bianca. Just before it closed down in 1976, Conber still had some 250 employees.