Esprit

American brand of sportswear created in the 1970s by Susie Tomkins and her husband Douglas. Born in San Francisco in 1943, by the mid 1960s she was already designing mini-skirts and dresses and selling them from her van. In 1970, she invented Esprit de Corps, a collection with a strong casual feel. Its logo was created in 1979, and within a very short time the upside-down E traveled around the world. The photographer Oliviero Toscani was entrusted with the advertising campaign. New lines were created during the 1980s: one for children, Esprit Kids (1981), one for the household, and, in a joint venture with the German company Optyl, a line of eyeglasses. The 1990s were years devoted to ecology, with thorough research into recycled fabrics and materials. It was the beginning of what, in a play on words, would be called the E-collection, and which still characterizes the spirit of the company.
Launch of the sportswear line Esprit Sports Women.
The brand is reunified and now 100% controlled by Esprit Holdings, which takes over the shares owned by Esprit International. The new director, Ursula Buck, plans a return of the brand to the U.S. in grand style. For 2002, the brand is expected to be in 270 U.S. department stores, and a mega-store with all of the Esprit lines, including the new men’s line, is planned. For the European market, the firm is considering the rapid opening of 18 shops one after the other.
A franchise plan for the baby and children lines is in the works for the European market.
The launch of Esprit Sports Men, a line of clothing for snowboarding, tennis, fitness, and running, in shops starting September 2003.
The brand’s restyling produces its first results, with an increase in turnover of 31% in the second half of 2002, with net profits of $555 million. Esprit distributes its products in 80 countries. One third of the global turnover comes from the German market.