Bulgari

The launch of the Bulgari brand

Bulgari is an Italian family brand that was founded in 1884. Its name is also written Bvlgari, drawing on the classical Latin alphabet in which V is equivalent to U, and inspired by the family name of the company's Greek founder, Sotirios Voulgaris, whose Italian pronunciation gives “Sotirio Bulgari”. A true silversmith from Greece, he decided to leave his native country in 1880 to try his luck in Italy. He settled in Rome before opening, four years later, his first store. There he sold silver creations and antique pieces. Then, 20 years later, in 1905, his sons Constantinio and Giorgio came to join him in the business. The Bulgari family then decided to open another store in Rome, which to this day is still considered their flagship store. It was his two sons who began to take a particular interest in noble materials and who turned Bulgari into a jewelry house. Following in their father's footsteps, they created pieces that were bold for their time, blending a style that followed the Greco-Roman trend with a design more reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance. This innovative blend brought them immense success in the 1950s, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Numerous celebrities such as Sophia Loren competed for their creations. This marked the beginning of Bulgari's expansion.

Bulgari's worldwide renown

From then on, Bulgari opened numerous stores around the world, in New York, Geneva, Paris, Monte Carlo… Since then, Bulgari's business has also expanded considerably. The brand has gradually moved into the perfume and cosmetics sector. Indeed, this activity now accounts for 23% of its revenue. All of the products developed by Bulgari are careful to uphold ethical values, embracing the customs and local practices of the places where they are manufactured, while respecting human rights and universal fundamental freedoms. Since its heyday in the 1950s, Bulgari's renown has never faded. The house more recently made headlines with its Mon Jasmin Noir fragrance, embodied on screen by the beautiful Kristen Dunst, posing proudly alongside a lion. In 2010, Bulgari's renown was such that an exhibition tracing its 125 years of existence was inaugurated at the Grand Palais. Since 2012, the Bulgari company has been fully acquired by the LVMH group. This has done nothing to diminish its prestige and has simply given it access to even greater opportunities.