DESIGUAL

BRAND AND FASHION DESIGNER ,   D

DESIGUAL, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR COMPANY

Desigual ss20

THOMAS MEYER’S DEBUT

In 1978 Thomas Meyer began selling second-hand clothes in Babia’s shops in Barcelona. It was 1983 when Meyer made the first Iconic Jacket from a leftover stock of second-hand jeans. He tried to sell it in several multi-brand stores in Barcelona, but without success. So he decided to sell some in a shop in Ibiza.

Thomas Meyer

The success was immediate and the demand for the jacket grew more and more. Meyer’s business got bigger and bigger and after a year he founded the Desigual brand. The name was suggested by the director Isabel Coixet and at the beginning, it was accompanied by the motto “no es lo Mismo” (“it’s not the same”) to indicate the uniqueness of the products. Unique and different. Desigual in Spanish means “different” and diversity is the quintessence of the company’s philosophy. Meyer stated: “We dress people, not bodies. And by choosing Desigual clothing, shoes, and accessories, you can be sure that you will stand out from the crowd and attract attention”

DENIM JACKET

The brand’s first garment is the denim jacket, which has also become one of the first garments made from recycled materials in the fashion industry.

The graphic designer Peret designed the first logo depicting a naked woman and a man holding hands; while the architect Tonet Sunyer designed the first shop, which opened in 1986, in the port of Ibiza where it all began.

Peret, Desigual logo

After the opening of the first boutique in Ibiza, Mayer moved to Barcelona in 1992, where the first real collections took shape. In 2006 the brand expanded overseas, opening its first international boutique in Singapore. From here, the expansion toward the Asian market and the United States began with the opening of the first store in New York in 2009. To enhance the philosophy of diversity, Winnie Harlow was chosen, the model with vitiligo, who after posing for Desigual’s Spring 2015 campaign became famous all over the world. In 2011 he signed a collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. It was a collection completely inspired by magic, the richness of colors, and the originality of the costumes and characters of the most famous circus in the world.

Desigual dresses for Cirque du soleil

In 2014 it sold 10% to Eurazeo but a few years later it bought it back for 160 million dollars.

BRAND’S ORGANIZATION

The brand has 2 logistics centers in Gavà and Viladecans and another two in New Jersey and Hong Kong which handle 55 million garments every year. In October 2015, the Viladecans center was opened which covers 23,500 square meters and has a storage capacity of 200,000 Desigual boxes. The company is present in 107 countries around the world where it sells its collections for women, men, children, accessories, sportswear, and footwear, through various distribution channels such as its stores, multi-brand sales points, stands in department stores, its website Desigual.com and other online channels. The company collaborates with national and international stylists, musicians, artists, brands, and icons of the world of fashion to create its collections.

A NEW IDENTITY

In June 2019 the brand renewed its identity to adapt to new consumption habits, trends, and an omnichannel model to better connect with consumers wherever they are. The new motto is “Love Different”. Desigual dresses are designed to love what makes each customer different. The collections of the brand are characterized by a strong vivacity of colors, patchwork, prints, and floral or abstract patterns that adorn garments and accessories. They draw inspiration from the ethnic and hippie styles.

Since 2010, the Spanish brand has been collaborating with Christian Lacroix. After more than ten years, in 2021 it renewed its collaboration with an exclusive fall/winter 2021 collection that presented clothes designed for a chic woman who is always on the move in line with the new needs of the Desigual customer.

Desigual x Christian Lacroix

Read also:

Winnie Harlow, the model with vitiligo: “I’m not my skin”

Desigual invades Milan with the Living collection

Supersalone: ​​fashion at Design Week