Ettedgui, Joseph
Joseph Ettedgui (1937 – 2010) was a hairstylist, fashion designer and entrepreneur, mind and soul of a brand which revolutionized English taste.
The beginnings in London
Born in Casablanca, he moved to London, where he worked as an hairstylist and looked for new talented fashion designer, to sell their creations in his hair salon. He fully lived the Swinging London era and, in 1971, he opened his first hair salon, Salon 33, in King’s Road.
Creative in every field, he gave in to the temptation to exhibit creations by young friends who worked as fashion designers in his windows: he had a good nose for fashion and he was among the first to comprehend, buy and sell creations by Kenzo and Martin Kidman, whom he founded with the brand Joseph Kidman. During the time, he multiplied his boutiques, offering many international brands, and his name became part of the sign of many stores: Joseph Café, Joseph pour la Maison, Joseph pour la Ville and Joseph Bis.
A global brand
Thanks to the commercial relationship with Kenzo, Joseph Ettedgui was inspired by Paris, so he was able to understand the polished and refined style of its inhabitants and to interpret it for the less sophisticated English girls. In 1984 he launched Joseph Tricot, which was a big success, and in the same year he opened the Joe’s Café, in London. Thus, he became one of the first fashion designer to impress a global concept to his brand: from the graphic design to the stores furniture, everything is studied and coordinated in order to promote a lifestyle, in addition to the creations he sold.
Fragrances by the fashion designer
In 1985 he launched his first fragrance Joseph perfume de jour. During the ’80s and the ’90s he opened many mono brand stores in England, New York and Paris; furthermore, he kept on selling his many collections in the most famous department stores in the world. His skill to recognize the talent made his stores fascinating: there he continued mixing his collections with other fashion designers’ ones, to promote an avantgarde vision, although appropriate for the style he developed. His collections Joseph Tricot have been awarded many times since 1990.
Sale and death
In 2005 the brand Joseph, whose 57 % had been controlled since 1999 by Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille, was acquired by Onward Holding, Japanese investment company whose aim was to expand the presence of the brand in Asia.
On 22th March 2010, 74-years-old Joseph Ettedgui died, in London, because of a cancer which he had long fought against.
You may also like:
Bekkaoui, Aziz
To read the item in Italian click here.